A Safe Haven
by Miyuri Tora
Summary: The Fairy Tail guild is happy when Evergreen's little sister returns to them. But she's not the same as she was when she left… How will they react when they discover her dark secrets? And which one of them will be able to pull her from the darkness of her past? -(Rated M for a reason. Contains lemons. Mostly Erik/Cobra X OC but there are some other pairings with my OC as well.)-
1. Chapter 1: A Lingering Fear

Chapter 1: A Lingering Fear

* * *

This was it. I was finally free. I had been suppressed for so long… but now I could finally take charge of my own life again. The experiences that I had endured had not been easy, but I had overcome them and even learned from them. Everything that I had been through had been my own fault, but I would make sure that nothing like that ever happened again… I wouldn't be able to survive it again.

I took a deep breath of fresh air, enjoying the way the breeze lifted my light brown hair around me. I stepped forward, having the perfect destination in mind. Growing up, there had always been one place that I had always felt safe. And I had friends there. My older sister was there.

I could pick up the pieces of my life and put them back together again… I could make something of myself, and find something to live for again. I would be just fine. I had to believe that I would be okay again.

* * *

I was walking around the outskirts of Magnolia. I had checked the guild hall and the house that the Thunder God Tribe lived in, but I hadn't been able to find her… or anyone that I recognized, for that matter. I'd been too apprehensive to ask any of the other guild members where she was, and I doubted if they would know anyway. I sighed. I should have written her to let her know that I was coming.

"Avari!" A deep voice shouted my name. "Avari, is that you?!"

I turned to see none other than Laxus Dreyar approaching me, waving his arm in the air with a grin on his face. "Laxus!" I exclaimed, happy to see him.

We jogged to meet each other. When I was close enough, he pulled me into a hug. His large, muscular arms wrapped around me and he pressed me into his strong, broad chest. I returned the hug, even though my feet were barely on the ground anymore.

"What's brings you out here, Avi?" He continued to grin as he set me properly onto my feet.

"Well I came to visit my sister and to see the old man, but… I can't seem to find anyone." I shrugged.

"Ah. Yeah it's about time for the S-class trials, so the old man has taken a bunch of them out to Tenrou Island." He shrugged as well.

I arched a brow in question. "Then shouldn't you be with them?"

"Heh heh…" He chuckled nervously and started to scratch the back of his head. "That's actually a complicated story…"

I continued to eye him.

"I, uh… I'm kind of not a member of the guild anymore…"

My eyes widened in shock and confusion. "Are you serious?" It was so unbelievable.

"Yeah." He finally dropped his arm from the back of his head. "But, hey. You're welcome to stay with me while you wait for your sister and the others to get back." The familiar grin found its way back to his face.

"Really?" I smiled. "It won't be any trouble for you?"

"Nah." He waved me off. "None at all."

* * *

He led me to a small cabin that was hidden by some dense trees and thickets. It was secluded, but close enough to Magnolia that we could get there if we needed anything. He had given me a tour, which was very quick since there wasn't much to it. There was only one bedroom, which was his, and after much struggle, I convinced him that I would be fine on the couch.

"So… it's not like you to just show up for a visit." Laxus sat on the couch next to me, handing me a plate of food.

I thanked him as I took it, trying to ignore his statement, but the look in his eyes wouldn't allow it. "Well, let's just say that I have a complicated story of my own."

He gave me a suspicious look, but let it go. "So I take it that Ever didn't know you were coming?"

I swallowed the bite of food that I had taken before answering. "No… I should have written, but… I guess that I was in a hurry." Some silence passed before I spoke again. "I was actually hoping that the old man would let me join the guild…"

Laxus gave me a soft smile. "I'm sure that he will."

I smiled back at him. "Yeah. It's just weird that you're not in it anymore."

"Well your sister, Freed, and Bickslow still are." He spoke with reassurance.

I sighed. "I guess. But I really doubt that things are the same without you." I laughed lightly.

He joined in my laughter. "I can't say whether they are."

We finished eating and did the dishes together. When we were finished I began rummaging through my small bag and grumbling to myself about my lack of clothes.

Laxus chuckled. "I've got a washer and dryer that you can use."

"You do?" My eyes sparkled with eagerness.

He laughed at me. "Yeah. They're on the back porch."

"Yay!" I was way more excited that I should have been. I gathered my clothes and hopped out of the back door. I threw everything into the washer and looked down at what I was wearing. Hmmm… "Laxus?" I called through the door.

"Yeah?"

"I hate to ask, but… do you have something that I can wear while everything is washing?" It had been a while since I had done any laundry… I really wanted clean clothes.

"Sure, let me check."

I watched him go into his room. When he was out of sight I quickly stripped out the clothes that I was wearing and threw them into the wash, starting it as I did. I darted into the bathroom before he could see me.

"Avi?" I heard him call.

"In here!" I cracked the bathroom door.

He chuckled as he handed me some clothes through the small opening. "Here ya go. I'm not sure how well they'll work, since you're so damn small… but…"

"I'll just be sleeping in them." I smiled. "Thank you, Laxus!"

I shut the door and turned around. I spotted the shower and well, it looked inviting. "Do you mind if I take a shower?"

He laughed as he walked away. "Knock yourself out."

I placed the clothes onto the counter and then indulged in a nice, hot shower. It was thoroughly relaxing. When I was finished I dried myself off with a towel from the rack and examined the clothes. They were indeed very large. He had given me a dark red shirt and some gray sweat pants. The shirt went down to my thighs. The sweat pants did not fit at all… even if I did roll them up and tighten the drawstrings all of the way, they still fell off. I folded them up neatly and looked at myself in the mirror. If I didn't move around too much, hopefully he wouldn't see anything underneath the shirt. I grabbed the pants and walked out. Laxus had put a pillow and folded blanket at the end of the couch and was sitting at the other end.

I handed him the pants before sitting down next to him. "They didn't quite work."

"I told you, it's because you're so damn tiny." He laughed at me and set the pants down on the end table.

"Hey! I'm not that small!" I pouted. "Besides, I'm a girl! If I was as freakishly huge as you then that would be creepy…"

"Ha! Yeah, I guess you have a point." He poked my head and leaned in closer. "So does that mean that you're naked under there?" He looked me up and down and lifted his brows suggestively.

I rolled my eyes playfully. "Everyone is naked under their clothes, Laxus."

He grinned. "Yeah, but… you're not wearing anything but my shirt…"

He continued to lean in closer to me. I could feel his warm breath on my face. His fingers brushed across the top of my knee. My breath caught in my throat and I forgot how to breathe. I watched him closely, his bluish gray eyes locked on my silver ones. His arm, which was slung over the back of the couch, encircled around my shoulders and his hand started to play with the long tresses of my light brown hair, which were still slightly damp from the shower.

"I missed you, Avi." He whispered as he looked at me.

I smiled, in spite of how delightfully nervous he was making me. "I missed you too, Laxus."

He grinned. His face inched closer so that his lips were just a pucker away from mine. I could feel my heart beating heavily in my chest. Part of me wanted him to go ahead and close the distance and kiss me. He made me feel safe and comfortable… happy even. And I ached for closeness… for intimacy… or maybe just companionship. I wasn't sure. Another part of me was reminded of what I had gotten myself into in the past… and I was frightened. Because of that very hard learned lesson, I didn't want to be close to anyone. I was terrified of what intimacy could make me vulnerable to. I was wary of letting anyone in. A meaningless encounter… I could handle that. But nothing about Laxus was meaningless. He was different. He'd always been different. Maybe because he was different… then he wouldn't hurt me? This was a terrible feeling… Would I ever be able to trust anyone again?

Just then, the washer started buzzing. I was literally saved by the bell. I jumped up, startled by it, and left a clueless Laxus behind as I darted to the back porch. I was breathing heavily, trying to settle myself down, as I tossed the clothes into the dryer. I started it up and I leaned against it for a few moments, trying to regain some composure.

"Avi? Is everything alright?" There was concern in Laxus' voice as he called to me.

I struggled not to sigh. I forced a smile and went back into the living room. "Yeah, Laxus, everything's fine."

He eyed me skeptically, but nodded.

I returned to my seat, pushing all of my inner turmoil to the back of my mind, effectively ignoring it.

He wrapped his arm around me without a second thought. He sighed contently as he pulled me into him. I curled my legs up onto the couch and snuggled into his side. This was nice. I had missed the feeling of being close to someone without having to worry about them turning on me at any moment. Laxus had always been a comfort to me. He was just so strong… and caring… and passionate… But still, fear lingered deep in my gut.

"Tell me what you've been up to since you've been gone." Laxus' voice was steady and smooth. It calmed me.

I smiled. I left out a lot of the things that had happened to me, but I told him about some of the adventures that I had been on. He, in turn, told me about some of his. He also left out the "complicated story" that he had mentioned earlier. We talked well into the night. It had been such a long time since I had laughed so much. I was beyond grateful that we had run into each other.

It was hours later and my eyes were starting to droop against my will.

He was chuckling in amusement. "Are you sure that you're gonna be okay on the couch?"

I nodded while I yawned. "Yeah, I'll be fine."

He glared at me skeptically. "Just take the damn bed."

I huffed stubbornly. "No!" I wrapped the blanket around myself and plopped down to lie on the couch, my head landing comfortably on the pillow at the end.

He was still sitting at the other end. He sighed, finally giving in. "Fine. Just come and get me if you need anything, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah…" I was already slipping off into slumber.

He laughed softly as he stood up and crouched down to kiss me on the cheek. I felt myself blushing as he walked away.

* * *

_I was cold. It was dark and I was alone. I pulled my knees to my chest and leaned against the wall, my face wet with tears. I could hear him coming down the hall. Dread filled me. Please… not again. He opened the door and light poured in from the doorway, temporarily blinding me._

_"__What are you doing?" His deep, raspy voice did not sound happy._

_I looked down at the floor, hoping that he would just leave me alone. It was an unrealistic hope._

_He grumbled beneath his breath. "Get the hell up, it's time for bed."_

_I didn't move. I knew that if I didn't move it would only make him angry, but I couldn't bring myself to obey. I was just so tired of living like this._

_"__Dammit, Avari!" He growled. He pulled me up from the floor by my hair and pushed me roughly against the wall. "Why can't you ever just do what I tell you to do?"_

_My eyes met his. I felt empty… I felt cold._

_He sighed. His dark violet eyes softened, if only a little. "I'm sorry about earlier… You just make me so damn angry sometimes…" His fingertips gently brushed the bruise that he had left on my cheekbone._

_I winced when pain sparked through the cut as he touched it._

_His jaw tensed at my reaction. "Dammit, Avi… I said that I was sorry." His voice was low and strained._

_I bit my lip. I didn't want him to be angry again. I wasn't sure if I could take it. "I'm sorry, too." I whispered, barely audible enough to hear… but of course, he could hear anything._

_He smiled at that. He kissed my lips, ignoring yet another cut that decorated my lower lip. A heavy, sinking feeling gripped me from the inside and tore at my heart. I kissed him back… in order to appease him. At least, that's what I told myself. He pulled away after a few moments and smiled down at me._

_He pressed his forehead to mine. "I love you, Avari."_

_A fresh pool of tears trickled down my face, the salt burning the cuts as they ran over them. "I love you, too…" I whispered._


	2. Chapter 2: To Tenrou Island

Chapter 2: To Tenrou Island

* * *

I woke up all snuggly and warm, a sharp contrast to the cold, lonely dream that I had during the night. I cuddled further into the bed and felt an arm wrap around me, holding me close. I was comfortable. I was content. Wait… bed? …arm? The hell? I blinked my eyes open and stared around me. I was in a bedroom. And I was burrowed into Laxus' shirtless side, using his shoulder as a pillow. I blinked a few more times, just to be sure of my surroundings.

Laxus stretched and yawned beneath me. "Hey, you awake?"

I leaned up so that I could look down at him. "Yeah… How did I end up in here?"

He rested his arms behind his head and watched me carefully, concern clear in his eyes. "I heard you crying in your sleep… You'd calm down when I'd stroke your hair or arm or something… and I didn't want to wake you… so I just brought you in here."

I let his words sink in. I cried in my sleep? "Oh… Thank you, Laxus."

He gave me a soft smile. "Yeah." Then he reached up and pulled me back down into his arms, catching me by surprise. "What were you dreaming about anyway?"

I sighed, nestling into his warm, muscular embrace. I had been dreaming about the man that I used to love… the man that had taken my heart, and then taken my life. "Maybe I'll tell you some other time."

He gave me an unhappy look, but he let it go.

We lied in the bed for a while as he stroked my hair. My thoughts drifted as I wondered how my sister and the others were doing. When Laxus' other hand began to caress the skin on my bare leg, it didn't even bother me… it felt nice. In fact, I think I leaned into it. My body developed a will of its own and it molded against his, pressing me further into him. He must have taken this as a sign of encouragement, because he rolled us so that I was on my back and he was hovering over me, one hand still tangled in my hair and the other gripping my thigh and using my leg to pull me closer to him. He was grinning down at me. My heart skipped a beat… or several beats, actually.

"Laxus?" I heard myself whisper his name.

His palm was warm on my thigh. His fingers brushed against my flesh in a pleasing way. "Avi… Do you remember that time that you went on that mission with me and the Thunder God Tribe?"

I nodded my head slowly. It was before I had met the man who had shredded up my life. It was when I was still a wandering mage who enjoyed life and its adventures.

"And do you remember when we were guarding that cargo? Just you and me?" His grin was making my blood rush.

I nodded again. "We had to stay up all night to make sure that it wasn't stolen… while my sister and the others went to investigate the other thefts." I mumbled.

His grin widened. "Yeah… and do you remember what we did so that we could stay up all night?"

I could feel my face getting hot as I blushed. "We played strip poker."

He chuckled as he nuzzled my nose with his. "And you lost… but I was a gentleman, so I got naked, too."

I bit my lip at the memory. My heart was thumping erratically against my chest. Dammit. Why was he bringing this up now?

"And do you remember what happened next?" His fingers were making their way further up my thigh, which made it hard for me to concentrate.

"Well…" I struggled to catch my breath. "We didn't really spend much time watching the cargo…"

He chuckled and his breath fanned across my face. "No, we sure as hell didn't…" He leaned in so that he could whisper in my ear. "That's because we were too busy enjoying ourselves… with one hell of a fuck."

I gasped when he licked the shell of my ear and then bit down on my lobe, dragging it through his teeth. I let my body do my thinking as I reached up to run a hand over his enticing abs, my other hand pulling me closer to him with a firm grip on his protrusive bicep. His lips clashed against mine in a heated kiss, our bodies closing the gaps to meet each other. He nibbled my bottom lip and I opened my mouth to let his tongue push in, ravaging every bit of it. My tongue met his and they engaged in a savory battle. His hand moved up to grip my bare ass, squeezing it firmly and causing me to moan into the kiss. His other hand moved down from my hair, brushed teasingly over my breast, and then found a comfortable spot on my waist.

I was all instinct now, every haunting thought cast aside. I rocked my body against his, feeling his hardening manhood through the fabric of his pants against my warmth. I smiled at the sensation. Laxus pulled his lips from mine and trailed kisses down my neck, sucking and grazing with his teeth as he went. His hand moved from my ass, back to my thigh, and towards my center. I gasped when he ran his fingers over my slick entrance.

He chuckled. "You're so wet, Avi."

"I can't help it if you turn me on." I answered with a grin.

"Damn right I do." He growled the words out as he shoved his finger inside of me.

I moaned and arched my back to meet him.

He lifted the shirt that I was wearing and ran his tongue over both of my nipples, breathing teasingly on them afterward. His finger pumped in and out of me at an agonizingly slow pace. He began to pinch and tease one nipple with his fingers as he sucked and nibbled the other one with his warm mouth. He was being completely torturous.

"Laxus, please…" I moaned the words. I was so close to reaching an orgasm that I couldn't think straight. But he wasn't going fast enough.

His chuckle vibrated against my nipple. "Please, what?"

I bit my lip and groaned. "Please just fuck me or something. If I don't have an orgasm soon then I'm gonna die."

He added another finger but continued his slow pace. "You're so dramatic, Avi." He laughed, amused by my torment.

I groaned again. I tried moving my hips against him, but he took his hand from my breast and used it to hold me down, laughing as he did. When my moans turned to whimpers he moved his mouth from my nipple and slowly dragged his tongue to my clit. He gave a quick lick over the sensitive area, causing me to twitch. He laughed at that, too. I wanted to glare down at him, but I was too flustered. He licked again, longer and firmer this time, and my entire body shivered in response.

"Do you really wanna come, Avi?" His breath blew onto my sensitive areas, creating a tantalizing sensation.

He wanted me to beg… And dammit, I didn't even really care at this point. "Yes, please, Laxus… I want to come. Please let me come."

He pressed his lips to my clit and grinned. His fingers increased their pace and curled inside of me. Everything came crashing down all at once and I was sent hurling through a very intense orgasm. When I finally came out of the pleasure filled haze, I realized that Laxus had finished removing my shirt and taken off his pants. He was pressing his lips to mine and I was kissing him back. I ran my hand down to grip his hard manhood. It was thick and long, just perfect. I massaged him as he thrust himself into my hand. I tried to roll us over so that I could be on top, but he wouldn't let me.

"No way in hell." He said firmly. "I'm not letting you do to me what I did to you." He gave me a sly grin before grabbing my wrists and pinning me to the bed. "So just get that outta your head right now."

"Aw, but Laxus!" I whined. I had been looking forward to some payback. "That's not fair!"

"All is fair in love and war." He licked my lips before biting my lower one.

I pouted when he let go. "But Laxus…" I tried to give him a sultry look. "I wanted to taste you…"

He chuckled. "Maybe next time."

The idea of a "next time" made my stomach flutter. Strange, considering that we weren't even finished with this time.

I grinned. "Well, since you won't let me on top… How do you want me?"

He stopped nibbling my neck to answer. "Every way that I can get you."

With that, he let go of my wrists, grabbed my hips, and plunged himself deep into me. I cried out from the intense feeling that it gave me. He wasted no time as he started to thrust himself in and out of me, hitting my spot with every go. My nails dug into his shoulders as I gripped onto him, my body moving against his in a state of bliss. It didn't take long for me to reach another orgasm. After I did, he sat up and pulled me onto his lap, still plowing into me. My legs were wrapped firmly around his waist and he held my hips as he moved in and out of me. I wrapped my arms around him to hold myself close, feeling his muscles flex beneath me. His hands moved to my ass for better leverage as he continued his amazing assault.

"Fuck, Avi… You feel so amazing." He groaned into my ear.

I leaned my head onto his shoulder, biting down on his neck. "Mhm."

"Come for me. Come again, Avi."

I moaned loudly and the pressure snapped again when he bucked his hips and sent me into another orgasm. "Oh, Laxus!"

"Yeah, that's right…" He grinned at me as he lowered us onto the bed again. "One more time, okay?"

I struggled to catch my breath as he pulled my legs up onto his shoulders and started pounding into me yet again. He was reaching a whole new angle, and I could barely withstand the pleasure. I screamed out, over and over, and called his name. My body moved with his, all on its own. My fingers laced their way into his hair, running through his spikey, blonde locks. Just when I thought that the sensations could not be any more intense, he moved his hand to my center and started to finger my clit.

"Oh, Laxus! Fuck! Laxus!" I screamed and moaned uncontrollably.

"That's it, Avi!" He groaned along with me. "Yeah! Fuck, yeah!"

All at once everything exploded around me. Waves and waves of pleasure coursed through me, tingling through my nerves. He continued for only a moment before his body tensed and he, too, experienced his climax, collapsing on top of me shortly afterward, his head resting on my chest. Everything pulsated around me and neither of us moved for several minutes.

When I felt like I could breathe properly, I lifted my arms to test them for movement. They felt heavy, but seemed to otherwise be in working order. I rested them on his back and used one hand to stroke his skin while the other landed in his hair and played with it gently. I sighed in contentment.

He sighed, too. "That was one damn good fuck." I could hear the happy grin in his voice.

"I'm glad that you're satisfied." I smiled.

"More than satisfied… In fact, I don't think there's a word for what I am." He turned his head enough so that I could see his grin.

"I guess we'll just have to make one up, then…" I grinned back at him.

"Ha." He laughed. "I'll leave that nonsense to you." He bit my nipple, since it seemed to be easy enough to do, as it was right in his line of sight.

I squealed and laughed along with him.

* * *

We had showered and eaten breakfast. I had also, to his disappointment, gotten dressed in my own clothes. We were taking a walk when Laxus got this strange look in his eye. I watched him questioningly.

"Hey, Avi?"

"Yeah?" I could tell that something was definitely on his mind.

"What do think about just going to Tenrou Island?"

I blinked, trying to register the question. People that weren't members of Fairy Tail weren't supposed to be allowed on the island… even I knew that. I shrugged. "Do you think we should?"

He shrugged back at me. "Why not?"

There were quite a few reasons "why not" but not many reasons as to why we should… but something seemed to be bothering him, so I didn't want to object. It's not like I had anything better to do, anyway. And I did want to see my sister and the others… as well as the old man. I shrugged again. "Okay. I'll go if you really want to."

He smiled. "Then let's go."

* * *

We had acquired a small sail boat and were on the open sea, on our way to Tenrou Island.

"It's hot. And I don't like boats… or any vehicles for that matter." I groaned, leaning my back against the side and staring up at the clouds, trying to distract myself.

"Stop complaining." Laxus was lying down on his arms and also watching the clouds.

"I know for a fact that you're not a fan of vehicles, either." I stated matter-of-factly and stuck my tongue out at him.

"Yeah, but I'm not complaining about it." He grinned at me and returned my gesture, sticking his tongue out playfully.

I rolled my eyes, grinning back at him.

"So, we've got a while before we get there…" His tone was a clear hint that he had a motive.

"Yeah… so?" I lifted a brow and eyed him suspiciously.

"So… How about we share our complicated stories? Ya know… since we're stuck here on this boat, and all…" Yep, there's the motive.

I giggled. "You really wanna know what happened with me, don't you?"

"Yeah." He smiled. "Don't you wanna know what happened with me?"

I had to admit, I really, really did. I sighed. "Yes. I do."

He shrugged. "Then what do you say?"

I thought for a moment. I hadn't shared my story with anyone. And I hadn't planned on sharing it either… not even with my sister… especially not my sister. I didn't want anyone to know about the terrible mistakes that I had made, or about how sickeningly weak I had been. But… maybe, if he told me his story first, I could gauge it and decide how much of my story to tell him afterward. I may not end up having to tell him much at all. "Okay."

He sat up, eager to hear.

"But I have conditions!" I added before he could get too excited.

His expression changed to display his thoughtfulness. "Okay, what are the conditions?"

"You can't tell anyone. No one. I don't want anyone, not my sister, not the other members of the Thunder God Tribe, not the old man, no one in Fairy Tail, absolutely no one, to know about this…" I waited for him to nod before continuing. "And I don't want you to judge me for it… I don't want you to pity me, get disgusted, or look at me differently at all…" Again, he nodded before I continued. "And you have to tell your story first. I'm not going to tell you anything unless you can agree to all of this." I made sure that my voice and facial expression were stern. I had gotten more attached than I would have liked to Laxus, and I didn't want to lose him to something like this… I wouldn't even consider telling him at all, but I was afraid that by not telling him that I would offend him in some way.

He thought for a moment and several expressions passed across his face. "Avi… First of all, I'm not gonna tell anyone. Your secrets are safe with me. I wouldn't dream of betraying your trust that way… Second, I would never judge you for something that you've done. I see you for the way that you are now, for the person that you are, and for who you're trying to be. And I hope that you can do the same for me… Lastly, I don't mind telling my story first, if you can make me the same deal on those first and second conditions." He grinned cheerfully.

He was so cheerful, in fact, that I couldn't help but grin back at him. "Okay, then. It's a deal."

* * *

**I hope that everyone reading is enjoying the story so far :)**

**So what do you think Avari's story will be? 5 points if you can figure it out ;D**

* * *

**PrincessOzora8, thank you for the review! I hope that you enjoyed the update :)**


	3. Chapter 3: A Lot to Learn

Chapter 3: A Lot to Learn

* * *

"So I did something really stupid, and now I regret it every day..." Laxus finished telling me about how he and the Thunder God Tribe had tried to take over Fairy Tail… and how he had been exiled from the guild.

I had listened to him in silence, taking in every word without interruption.

"But the only thing that I can do now is move on from it. And try to become a better man, so that I don't make those same stupid mistakes again… so that I don't take what I have for granted." He was staring up into the sky, wearing a nostalgic expression.

I nodded. "Sometimes we have to learn our lessons the hard way… I know that I did."

He met my eyes then. "So, what lesson did you learn?"

I sighed. "I met a man…" My eyes drifted as I thought of him, but I could still feel Laxus watching me. "He was strong, daring, and confident. There was something about him that drew me to him… I must admit, I didn't really know much about him when I started traveling with him. But I was a wandering mage, set out for adventure, so it didn't really matter to me at the time… He was a dragon slayer due to the implantation of a dragon lacrima, like you. I told him about my own dragon slayer magic, and he laughed about my memories of Krystallos… but I didn't let it bother me much. There were just so many other qualities about him that lured me in."

I paused as I thought about his mesmerizing eyes, deep and violet… his gravity defying, dark red hair… his arrogant smirk and the way he'd look at me… his deep and resounding laugh… I sighed, again. "It was all too easy to fall in love with him. And at first it was euphoric, like a dream. He was protective and endearing. Every day with him was new and exciting. But somewhere along the line, his protectiveness changed into possessiveness. He became very controlling and jealous. He nearly killed any guy that talked to me. He didn't like anyone, aside from him, talking to me, for that matter. I couldn't even write a letter to my sister without him getting suspicious. After the jealousy came the violence… He'd get angry, and just lose control. He'd apologize right after, and like a tool, I'd forgive him. It was only later that I found out that he was a member of a dark guild…"

I took a deep breath and chanced a quick look at Laxus. I averted my gaze immediately. His entire body was tense and his fists were clenched at his sides. Even though he hadn't said anything, I could tell that he wasn't the least bit happy with my story so far. And it would only get worse from here. "I met the other members and inadvertently discovered what they were planning to do. For the first time since Krystallos had left me, I felt completely terrified. I tried to run, but he found me. After that they held me captive, making sure that I never had the chance to escape and ruin their insane plans."

I could feel a dull ache in my chest. The memory of having the man I loved turn out to be a criminal… and then having him hold me against my will… it was still more painful than I'd like to admit. "He still called me his. And since I was all alone, I'm ashamed to say that I relied on him for comfort. I think a part of me was still in love with him… I think that part of me will always be in love with him. It wasn't until his guild was defeated and an investigation was set into motion that I was finally set free of him, only to be taken into custody by the Magic Council. After they determined that I was being held against my will, and after days and days of grueling questions, they at last let me go. That was when I decided to go to Fairy Tail… I don't feel comfortable being alone anymore… Not that I feel comfortable around people either… But, I figured that at least with my sister, I could maybe feel a little bit safe again."

He was silent for a long time. I worried how he would feel about everything that I had told him. Would he think that I had been weak? I sure as hell thought that I had been weak. Would he be disgusted that I had stayed with a man that had abused me? I was disgusted with myself. Would he think that I was stupid for getting caught up with him in the first place? I thought that I was stupid. Would he laugh at me for my lack of self-confidence? I wanted so badly to be the confident person that I used to be.

When he finally spoke, it wasn't anything that I had expected. "Tell me who this bastard is… so that I can hunt him down and make him pay for hurting you." His words were grounded out through clenched teeth.

I was surprised by his response. It wasn't pity… sympathy? …empathy? He cared? I composed myself so that I could answer him. "He's currently imprisoned by the Magic Council. It doesn't matter anymore…"

"Of course it matters, Avari. That asshole hurt you, tormented you, and held you against your will… He'd better pray that we never cross paths, because I'll make him wish that he was never born." The threat and menace in his voice was very real. I knew that he meant every word that he said.

* * *

We made it to Tenrou Island to find it in a state of disarray. Grimoire Heart was attacking and it looked like several of the Fairy Tail members had already been defeated. We saw Grimoire Heart's ship, where it looked like an epic battle was taking place, and Laxus decided that would be our destination. We rushed to it without any hesitation, determined to provide any help that we could. I watched in awe as Laxus bolted through the ship in front of me, landing a fierce blow on the man known to be Hades. I dropped in after him, administering a blow of my own before landing beside Laxus. I took in my surroundings quickly, seeing several of the people that I knew and loved scattered and beaten around us. I barely listened to Hades' shocked question of our arrival. But I did notice when Laxus charged him again, delivering a harsh headbutt. I flitted about the room, checking on everyone and helping them crawl out of the rubble that some of them had been buried under.

"Laxus? Avari? What are you two doing here?" Erza asked, a mixture of relief and surprise in her voice.

I smiled at her, but Laxus was the one to answer. "Well, Avi wanted to see her sister and the old man, so I brought her out here and figured I'd visit Mavis' grave while I was at since, ya know, I'm a former member of Fairy Tail and all…" He grinned cockily. "Imagine my surprise when I find that the second Guild Master has betrayed us, and even gone so far as to attack the guild that he used to protect… I think that we should show our respect by making a grave for him, too."

Needless to say, Hades wasn't too thrilled with Laxus' suggestion. But I got a good laugh out of it. I gathered everyone to a safe corner in the room and erected a barrier to keep them safe from the lightning and dark magic that was exploding throughout the ship. Laxus was holding his own, until he took a hit from one of Hades' Amaterasu spells. Laxus fell to his knees and I dove into the battle, defending Laxus' fallen body with my own.

"I guess I've still got a lot to learn…" Laxus mumbled with a smile.

I formed yet another barrier to protect Laxus and quickly called on my Crystal Dragon Scale Armor before lunging toward Hades. He laughed maniacally at my efforts, babbling about how we needed to learn our place. I called for my Crystal Dragon Fang Spear and plunged it forward in an attempt to pierce him, but he was able to leap away from my attack. He used spell after spell, but I was able to dodge every one of them. With a Crystal Dragon Roar I blew a hole in the side of the ship, finally hitting him. But he had used some sort of spell to absorb most of the damage. I was getting tired, having to use continuous magic energy to supply the barriers, along with my armor and spear. I was able to significantly damage him, but he used my exhaustion to his advantage and landed an Amaterasu spell on me. My armor absorbed quite a bit of the magic, but it shattered, along with my spear, and I was low on magic energy. I panted as I faced him off, mustering one last roar. He countered with a dark magic attack. Our magic met in the middle and clashed in a great explosion, causing us both to be tossed backward. Unfortunately, after an immense struggle, his overpowered mine and I was overwhelmed with pain. My entire body ached and every breath wracked through me with tremendous strain. I didn't feel as if I could move. Hades laughed in triumph. I could hear everyone screaming in the distance as my barriers shattered.

Knowing that Laxus and the others were in danger was unbearable for me. I saw Hades making his way toward Laxus, and I urged my body to move. My muscles screamed in agony as I crawled my way toward him, barely even leaving the ground. He was on his knees, facing Hades with determination. I positioned myself in front of him, forcing my body first to my hands and knees, and then to a kneeling position, before I stood straight on my knees, my arms hanging useless beside me. Still, I stared Hades down, refusing to give in.

Laxus laughed softly behind me. He placed a hand on my shoulder. "It's alright, Avi, you've done enough…" He whispered. "Thank you."

I turned to see the smile on his face. It made me feel warm.

"Hey." He yelled loud enough for the others to hear. "Even though I'm not a member of Fairy Tail anymore… Do you think it's still alright for me to get angry… if something happened to the old man?"

Natsu answered him, his fist clenched in front of him with determination, his voice loud and inspiring. "You sure as hell can!"

Laxus nodded and it seemed as though he had come to a conclusion about something. He pushed me to the side and shot out a lightning bolt towards Natsu, wrapping him in lightning. Hades then, having gotten up and finally reached us, attacked Laxus with dark magic. I was completely out of the way, thanks to Laxus shoving me away. I screamed in horror, along with Natsu and the others. Laxus collapsed to the ground, telling Natsu that he'd given him all of his remaining magic.

"But why? Why would you do that?" Natsu asked, still upset at Laxus for taking the attack and confused by the situation.

"Because… it's not about being strong or weak." Laxus answered with a smile still on his face. "Someone with the Fairy Tail mark should defeat this guy… not me. So go on, Natsu. Kick this guy's ass. Give him back all of the hell that he's caused Fairy Tail… and make him pay for what he's done."

Natsu nodded, finally understanding, and resolution swarmed his features. "Right. You got it, Laxus. I'll take care of this. Just leave it to me!"

I felt myself smiling as I watched Natsu rush off to meet Hades in battle once again. I gathered my strength and again made the effort to crawl my way toward Laxus. "Hey, dumbass…" I whispered when I reached him.

"Hey, goofball." He whispered back.

I smiled as I brushed some dust from his face. "You didn't have to push me outta the way like that…"

He rolled his eyes as he grinned at me. "Yes, I did. Otherwise you would have tried to take the blow…"

I laughed, but the motion sent shocks of pain throughout my torso, which made me cringe uncomfortably. "Yeah, well..."

"I think I'm going to pass out, now… Don't do anything stupid or get yourself anymore beat up, okay?" He closed his eyes, but he was still smiling.

I sighed and laid down beside him, stretching out my limbs to be as comfortable as I possibly could, which wasn't very comfortable at all. "Yeah, yeah…" I drifted off into slumber, hearing the sounds of fighting in the distance.

* * *

**Hmmm… who do you think the man that Avari was talking about is? The description pretty much gives it away, I think ;)**


	4. Chapter 4: Rejoining Fairy Tail

**5 points to Skymist675! :)**

* * *

Chapter 4: Rejoining Fairy Tail

* * *

I woke up when Hades was screaming about his power being lost. It was a beautiful sound. I had gained enough energy to stand again, and I could move without too much pain. I watched, beaming with pride and happiness, as Laxus punched Hades right in his big ugly face. After that, we were able to finish him off. It seemed like everything had worked out just fine.

* * *

We were back on the island, trying to regroup with the other Fairy Tail members. I was looking forward to seeing my sister and the other Thunder God Tribe members again. That was… until the old man started yelling. I watched wide eyed, afraid that he would pop a blood vessel… I mean, the redness of his face and the size that his head reached could not have been healthy. Laxus just shrugged him off with a deadpanned expression, which only served to further aggravate the old man. I decided to intervene.

"Hey, gramps!" I skipped in between them, crouching down to his eye level. "Sorry about everything, but… Laxus is only here because I got into some trouble and needed to see you and my sister..." I decided that it would be best if I took the blame. "So he was kind enough to bring me to you guys, since I didn't know where you were." I grinned nervously, hoping that would be enough to pacify him.

He huffed a few more times before breaking into a beaming smile. Bipolar, much? "Oh, well, if that's the case, then I suppose it's alright!" He shouted happily. "It's so good to see you, Avari! You're just a gorgeous as ever, might I add! I'm so glad that you came to see us!" He continued as he beamed from ear to ear.

"Perverted old man…" I heard someone mumble, but I wasn't sure who had said it. It made me giggle.

"Oh my goodness! Avari! Laxus! I can't believe you're both here!" Three distinct voices began shouting, mostly for Laxus, before the two of us were mauled by the Thunder God Tribe. My sister hugged me until I couldn't breathe, and Bickslow spun me around in the air as he and his dolls laughed insanely. Freed fawned over Laxus but managed to spare me a hug. I laughed at their antics. Laxus just chuckled sheepishly.

* * *

Being back at the Fairy Tail camp made me feel like I was home again. I realized that it was because I was surrounded by people that loved, cared for, and trusted each other… they were loyal and protective, and they were able to laugh together and even have rivalries without malice or ill will. This was true friendship… this was love. I sighed, wondering why I had ever even left in the first place.

"Is everything alright?" the old man took a seat beside me, serious now.

I nodded. "It is now… I think."

He nodded back at me. "You mentioned that you had gotten into to trouble… is that true? Or was that just a cover to keep me from yelling at my grandson?"

I laughed a little before answering. "It's true… but the trouble is over now. Now I think I'm just looking for a place to… I don't I know… feel safe again."

"I see." He looked thoughtful. "Well you know that you're always welcome at Fairy Tail. Even though you left, I never stopped thinking of you as my daughter. And if you need someone to talk to, well, I'm here for that as well."

I smiled. "I was hoping that you'd say that. I want to join the guild again… if that's okay."

"Of course it is, Avari." He returned my smile before his face went solemn. "And we'll protect you… I don't know what it is that you're running from, or hiding from… but we're all here for you."

My eyes widened. I shouldn't have been surprised… He was always able to see right through people. "Thank you…"

I let my mind wander. The threat of Erik was finally behind me. Here, with my friends, I could finally move on… I let out a sigh of relief. I looked up to see my sister waltzing over to us. She had been getting her injuries treated so now I assumed that she was coming to check on me.

"So, little sis', I'm all better now!" She announced. "Did you already get your wounds taken care of?" She eyed my un-bandaged injuries pointedly.

"They're fine." I waved her off. "Actually, I had something that I wanted to tell you." I changed the subject.

"Oh, really?!" She clapped her hands excitedly. "What is it?!"

I grinned up at her. "I'm going to join the guild again!"

"Oh, yay!" She shouted happily before pulling me up into a hug. "I'm so happy to hear that, Avi!" She swung me around and then drug me over to where mostly everyone was gathered. "Did everyone hear that?! My little sister is going to join the guild again!" She made the announcement and every shouted excitedly.

I blushed from all of the attention. I wasn't used to being in the spot light… it was unusual for me.

"Haha! Look at that! She's blushing!" Bickslow ripped me from Ever's arms and pulled at my cheeks teasingly while his dolls echoed around us. "blushing, blushing!"

It made me blush harder. "Knock it off, Bickslow!" I laughed, swatting at his arms and trying to rip his hands from my face.

He decided to just put me in a headlock and muss up my hair, laughing all the while. "You're just so darn cute!" He licked up the side of my face, making my eyes go wide as I shivered at the feeling of his tongue on my cheek.

"Bickslow!" I shouted in my shock.

Everyone around us just laughed.

* * *

I had finally gotten free of Bickslow and I was lying on my stomach in between Erza and Ever, basking in the sun. Some of the other girls were with us, too. I had been introduced to the members of the guild that I didn't know, and they had all seemed nice enough. Lucy was a bit cheery, Juvia was a bit strange, Gajeel was actually kind of cool, and Wendy was a cute little girl. I was more than surprised to see Lisanna alive and well. But my surprise quickly turned to hysteric laughter when Laxus started to pull at her cheeks to make sure that she was actually real. And apparently there a whole lot of other talking cats, like Happy, and they were actually called Exceeds. I was happy to see that everyone else was mostly the same as when I had last seen them. Erza was still awesome. Natsu was still rambunctious. Gray was still pretty laid back. Mirajane was still kind and considerate. Elfman was still all "manly" and stuff. Gildarts was still an old, yet dashing, pervert. Yep, not much had changed, aside from the new additions.

Apparently, something had happened between Elfman and my sister… everyone kept teasing them, and they reacted by blushing and yelling out denials… I made a mental note to ask her about it later. Of course, I would never ask her around these maniacs, because then I'd never get a straight answer out of her.

"Hey, Avi!" Mira's light voice rang through my thoughts.

I faced her, still lying on my stomach. "What's up, Mira?"

She smiled happily at me. "I found a guild stamp in my bag… Do you want to go ahead and get the Fairy Tail mark?"

I smiled back at her. "Sure! Now I just have to think about where I want it…"

"And what color!" She reminded me.

"You should get green." My sister suggested.

"I think you should get red." Erza said from my other side.

Ever rolled her eyes. "Get green. And get it on your chest, like me."

"That's so tacky. Get red, and put it on your arm, like mine." Erza argued.

I looked back and forth between them, still lying on my stomach, considering what I should do.

"I know!" Bickslow shouted from somewhere behind us.

I heard him approaching. "What do you suggest, Bickslow?" I asked the question without turning to face him. I figured I might as well humor him.

Before I could comprehend the situation, he was on top of me, sitting on my ass, his legs straddling my body. I tried to turn around so that I could push him off, but he used one of his arms to apply pressure to my shoulders and hold me down. With his other hand, he stamped the tool down onto my lower back, between my shirt and shorts. I squealed as Evergreen and Erza just watched the scene in immobilized shock.

"Bickslow!" Mirajane was the only one with enough sense to move, and she stormed forward, jerking the stamp back out of Bickslow's grasp. She looked down at me and her eyes widened. "Oh, dear…"

"Dammit, Bickslow!" I wiggled enough so that I could lean up and turn to look at what he had done.

There was a bright blue Fairy Tail symbol on my lower back, just above the hem of my low-rise shorts and under the hem of my tank top. He was grinning proudly, still on top of me, admiring his artwork.

I gaped at him. "Did you seriously just give me a tramp stamp?!"

He burst into a fit of insane laughter. "Yeah, I totally did!" His dolls were also laughing, strangely enough. "But it looks so freaking cute on you!" He put his hands on my waist and leaned forward.

I rolled my eyes. "Get the hell off of me!"

At this point, we had gathered an audience. Most of them were laughing, while others were gaping. When I realized that people were watching, I started blushing again. I slapped my palm against my forehead.

Evergreen laughed as she finally came to my aid, pulling Bickslow away by the ear to get him off of me. He yelped in pain and flailed about, crying about how abusive she was. I sat up and tried to get a better look at the mark. Erza and Mira leaned in to look at it as well.

"It's not that bad…" Erza commented.

"If you really hate it, then I can fix it when we get back to the guild hall." Mira smiled reassuringly.

"I think it looks good." Lucy smiled cheerfully.

"Me too!" Wendy agreed.

"Ya know, Bickslow was right… It really does look cute." Gray smirked down at me.

I blinked up at him, feeling my cheeks start to get warm again. "Thanks, guys…"

"It's pretty sexy, if you ask me." Gajeel's raspy voice broke through as he pushed the girls aside and leaned in for a closer look.

"So Bickslow gave you a tramp stamp, huh?" Laxus spoke up then, and now he was leaning down to examine the symbol. "Damn, that's hot."

I knew that I had to be blushing about ten different shades of red. I looked up at Ever pleadingly, my eyes screaming for help. She was still holding Bickslow by the ear. She laughed down at me before swooping to my rescue.

"Alright, that's enough! My sister deserves some personal space, here, gentlemen!" She shooed them all away as she pulled me from the center of the group.

I sighed in relief.

* * *

All of our fun was short lived when it seemed like hell itself had broken loose. A black dragon swept through the air, destroying all in its path. We ran, by order of our master, to the ship. I wanted to stop. I wanted answers. Maybe this dragon knew about Krystallos… but this dragon was nothing like my father. So I ran with the rest of them. When the old man tried to hold off the dragon for the rest of us, it felt like the world was ending. I couldn't stand to leave him behind. But he demanded that we all follow his last order, in spite of our protests. Laxus, even though I could tell that it was very painful for him, was forced to not only leave him behind, but to grab Natsu and convince him to do the same. I hated running.

When the old man was overwhelmed by the dragon, no longer able to hold him off, we all decided to rush to his aid. Together we fought to defeat the dragon… but even with our combined attacks, we didn't stand a chance. We were not enough to overcome it. There was nothing that we could do… except stand together. So we joined hands, preparing for the final assault. Together, we vowed that we would return home… to Fairy Tail.

* * *

**Yeah, so, Avari was talking about Erik, aka Cobra.**

**Next time she'll wake up with everyone else after seven years of stasis. And then she'll have to readjust to the guild… how do you think she'll handle it after everything that happened with Cobra and her time on Tenrou Island?**

* * *

**Skymist675, thanks for answering :)**

**icecreamnova, thank you! I hope that you enjoyed the update! :)**


	5. Chapter 5: Readjusting

Chapter 5: Readjusting

* * *

I woke up to a lot of commotion. There were some Blue Pegasus guild members on the island, as well as some additional Fairy Tail members that I was sure hadn't been there before… Wait, when had I fallen asleep? And what had I been doing? My head felt fuzzy… The dragon! I looked around, watchful for any sign of danger, but there didn't appear to be anything wrong. I sat back down, confused, and rubbed at my head, trying to clear it.

"You okay, Avi?" Laxus sat down beside me.

I looked up at him and nodded out of reflex, but I was very confused. "What's going on?"

Before he could answer, Natsu started yelling about the same thing… questioning what had happened, where the dragon had gone, and what the other people were doing here. Everyone gathered in the same area, waiting for answers. The answers that we got were not the ones that we expected.

None other than Mavis, the first guild master, explained what had happened. Seven years… we'd been sleeping in a state of stasis on Tenrou Island for seven years… I could scarcely believe it. Seven years had gone by while the world changed around us, and we had been oblivious to it all. Seven years now separated me from him… I wondered if he was still imprisoned, held captive for his crimes… I wondered if he had known that I was missing… I wondered if he cared at all…

We were reacquainted with guild members that had changed in the seven years of our so called disappearance. And then we made our way back home… just like we had promised.

* * *

We made it just in time to see some losers attacking our guild. We made quick work of them. And then, of course, we commenced with a big party in the new guild hall. I was happy to drink and sit with Laxus and the Thunder God Tribe. Everyone welcomed me back with the others, as if I had never left before. I was grateful for that. It meant that I wouldn't have to avoid explaining what had happened to me in my time away from them. I met a few more new people, along with some members from Lamias Scale.

There was one girl in particular, Kinana, whom had joined Fairy Tail just before everyone had gone to Tenrou Island. She made me extremely uncomfortable. I wasn't sure what it was, but she made the familiar fear nag in the back of my mind. She seemed nice enough, in spite of the fact that she seemed to be a little clueless, but I was sure that I knew her from somewhere. But where?

"Hey, Avi!" Bickslow's voice interrupted my thoughts and his hand waved in front of my face.

I was sitting in between him and my sister. I blinked and looked up at him.

"Pay attention! I just challenged you to a drinking contest!" He grinned happily.

I shrugged. "Alright."

"Laxus?" Bickslow turned his attention across the table.

Laxus pushed Freed from his shoulder and shrugged. "Sure, why not?"

Freed latched back onto him and was reprimanded by Ever for being too clingy.

After an intense drinking contest that ended up involving half the guild… well, I passed out. When I woke up the next day, the party was still going on. I rubbed my head and wondered what I had fallen asleep on. Something, or rather someone, groaned underneath me.

"Whoa. Remind me never to drink against Cana ever, ever again…" A deep voice rumbled from below me.

I realized that I had passed out on top of Gajeel. I sat up, only to sway and nearly fall back down.

He steadied me, though, as he sat up behind me and caught me by the shoulders. "You okay there?"

I blinked and looked back at him. "Yeah, thanks."

He grinned at me as his hands trailed down from my shoulders to my waist. "No problem." His breath fanned across the back of my neck and I shuddered. He slowly lifted us both to our feet, still holding onto my waist from behind.

"Avari!" Evergreen and Bickslow were both looking for me. "Avi! You alive?!"

Gajeel nuzzled his face into my neck. "Guess I've gotta let you go now…" He pressed his lips against my skin and then chuckled as he walked away.

I had chills… pleasant chills. After a moment, I gathered my senses and was able to answer my sister and Bickslow.

* * *

Laxus had said repeatedly that he wasn't rejoining the guild, but when it was time for him to go, the Thunder God Tribe still cried and pleaded for him not to leave. He had to literally pry Freed and my sister off of him. I was also sad to see him go. But he grinned as he left and something about the look in his eye told me that it would be okay.

* * *

I had moved into the Thunder God Tribe house with the others and was adjusting to being a Fairy Tail member again. Evergreen had taken me shopping and gotten me a whole new wardrobe. I had protested, but she insisted, saying that it was her job as my older sister to take care of me. I got a lot of shirts that only covered my top half and a lot of bottoms that were low rise so that my Fairy Tail symbol would stay visible. Since Bickslow and several others had freaked out when Mira asked if I wanted to change it, I had decided to just keep it the way that it was.

I dreamed of Erik nearly every night, but they weren't all bad dreams… some were happy. There were the occasional ones where I dreamed of him after it had all gone wrong. The first time that I had woken up from one of the bad dreams, I was surprised and confused to find Freed in my bed with me. He quickly explained that Laxus had told him to keep an eye on me at night because I hadn't been sleeping well, so he had put an enchantment on the wall between our rooms, since his room was next to mine, that would allow him to hear me at night… and when he heard me stirring, he came in to comfort me and ended up falling asleep. I thanked him and was flattered that he cared enough to go through that much trouble. After that, he would spend the night with me every now and then. He was a gentleman, so he didn't make any inappropriate moves or ask any prying questions. He just comforted me when I needed it.

Bickslow had found us in bed together one time when he had come to wake me. And he had woken the whole block by screaming in terror, his dolls echoing him in a pitch high enough to break glass. I had laughed at him and walked away, leaving him in his panicked state. I later heard Freed explaining to him and Evergreen that nothing had happened between us and that he had only been comforting me through a nightmare. Upon hearing that, Ever had asked me about my nightmare… but I had waved her off, telling her that it was nothing.

I had gone on some missions with various members of the guild. I was still too nervous to spend too much time with anyone, so I wouldn't do any missions that were too far from home. I needed to be able to retreat to my own thoughts every once in a while.

Right now I was on an escort mission with Gray. It had been easy enough and we were already on our way back home. We had been delayed, however, and were going to have to stay in a hotel for a night before making it back to Magnolia. We found one and rented a room with two beds. I went into the washroom to change into my sleep shorts and tank top. When I emerged, Gray was sitting on his bed wearing only his boxers… which really wasn't all that unusual, considering that he was well known for his stripping. I put my day clothes into my bag and sat down on my bed with a book. I wasn't all that tired yet and I needed something to distract myself.

"Hey, Avi…" Gray's voice was soft in the quiet room.

"Yeah?" I looked up from my book to see him watching me.

"I wanted to talk to you about something…" He wore a thoughtful expression.

I closed my book and tilted my head to the side. "What is it, Gray?"

"Well, it's just…" He paused, as if he were wondering how to word what he wanted to say. "It's just that you've been kind of different since you got back."

I struggled to keep my face blank. He'd noticed? Damn… who else had noticed? "What do you mean, Gray?"

"You've been distant." He seemed to be more confident now, the words coming from him more freely. "You don't smile as much as you used to. You keep to yourself and spend a lot of time staring off into space. And you're not as outgoing and carefree… What happened to you, Avi?"

I sighed. I couldn't help it. Was I really that transparent? "Nothing for you to worry about, Gray."

He came over and sat beside me on my bed, eyeing me carefully. "But I do worry, Avi. I care about you…"

I suddenly felt like my personal space was being invaded. I knew that he was only trying to reach out to me… to express his concern for me… but it made me feel exposed. I wanted to shield myself from him. "Please, Gray… I don't want to talk about it."

He nodded, understanding clear in his eyes. "Okay, Avi." He wrapped his arms around me in a comforting embrace. "I just want you to know that I'm here for you."

My every instinct was telling me to push him away, but there was a part of me that craved the closeness. I leaned into his chest, allowing him to hold me. His skin was cool and soothing. He ran his fingers through my hair, and I actually liked the feeling… it calmed me. I traced the Fairy Tail symbol on his chest with my fingertips, trying to forget the panic that I had experienced only moments ago. He leaned back onto the bed, taking me with him, and we situated with my head on his chest and his arms still around me.

We laid like that for a while as he continued to stroke my hair and I simply trailed my fingertips on his chest. After some time, he moved a bit so that he could kiss my forehead… then my cheek… and then my lips… His lips were cool and soft on mine. I returned his kiss, pushing back the uneasy feelings that rose up in my mind. I didn't want to think right now. He shifted us so that his body was over mine. His hands caressed my body slowly and sensually. His tongue brushed my lower lip and I opened my mouth, granting entrance. His tongue dove in and engaged mine in a swirling battle. I hadn't even realized that my legs were intertwined with his until I felt something hardening against my thigh.

He pulled away suddenly, breathing heavily. "I'm sorry…"

I tried to catch my breath. The fog in my head began to clear and the fear started to rise within me. I couldn't get close to anyone… it hurt, and I was just too scared. I looked down at his chest, avoiding eye contact. "It's okay…" I whispered, doubtful even as I said it. I didn't want to push him too far away, but I didn't want to make myself vulnerable, either.

He sighed as he gently took me back into his arms, pressing my head to his chest and lying down onto the bed. I relaxed in the embrace, trying to ignore every anxious thought that rose into my mind. Eventually, we both drifted off to sleep.

* * *

**Next time, Avari goes out for a drink… who do you think she decides to go out with?**

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**icecreamnova, I thought it would be funny… lol. Thanks for reviewing :)**

**Guest, thank you!**


	6. Chapter 6: Inebriation

Chapter 6: Inebriation

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Since our mission together, Gray had been extremely watchful of me. Now that he knew that there was something wrong with me, he didn't want to let me out of his sight. It was like he was afraid that I would crumble into pieces if he turned his back, or something. He was constantly asking me how I was and making sure that I wasn't alone, which was nice of him, but it was also a bit nerve-wracking. I liked to be alone. And when he went off on missions with Natsu, Erza, and the others, he was always begging me to go with him, so that he wouldn't have to worry about me, but of course I would refuse. It was nice that he was worried about me, and sometimes it would spread a warm feeling through me, but it was a little overwhelming… I had been on my own, away from the guild, for so long, that I wasn't used to anyone caring this much about me anymore. And the fact that he knew there was something bothering me… just made me feel exposed. He was at least discreet about it, so none of the other guild members noticed, especially since they were all distracted by this new girl, Michelle, showing up for Lucy. Juvia noticed, of course, and she wasn't very happy about it. But I tended to avoid her. And my sister noticed... She was always watching me, too.

"So…" She had finally cornered me. "I've noticed that Gray has been pretty protective of you… ever since the two of you got back from that mission." The tone to her voice was prying.

I sighed. I had been hiding in Bickslow's room, since he and Freed were out, but she had still managed to find me. I had hoped that the piles of clothes and other strange messes would discourage her from venturing in here, but no such luck. "I don't what you're talking about, Ever." I smiled innocently up at her.

She leaned down and waved her finger in front of my face. "Don't you give me that! I've seen the way he hovers around you. Now fess up!"

I wanted to laugh. She was so amusing when she got like this. Then an idea popped into my head, and I grinned. "Okay, Ever. I'll tell you about Gray… if you tell me what's going on between you and Elfman."

She immediately started blushing and retreated to the opposite side of the room, tripping over one of Bickslow's weird piles of randomness and falling into the mess. "I d-don't know w-what you're t-talking ab-bout!" She stuttered.

"Oh?" I laughed out loud, seeing as she had repeated what I had said to her. "Cause I've seen the way you two blush and get all giddy around each other, Ever!" I stuck my tongue out at her and pointed accusingly.

"We most certainly do not!" She blushed harder as she shouted indignantly.

I kept laughing. I had successfully changed the subject. She continued to spout out excuses in her flustered state as I kept antagonizing her, just as a younger sister would do. I was singing about them kissing in a tree when Bickslow burst into the room.

"What the hell are you two doing in my room?!" He looked back and forth between us, trying to absorb the situation.

"Nothing!" Ever shouted and darted past him and out of the room, nearly knocking him over in the process.

Bickslow turned to me, removing his mask and arching a brow. "The hell was that about?"

I was red from laughter. I fell back and accidentally knock over another pile of clothes and I don't even know what. Oops.

"Jeez! You stupid girls totally wrecked my room!" Bickslow shouted as he kicked some of the junk around.

I flew up and looked at him with wide eyes. "Are you kidding me?! It was already a mess when we got in here!"

"Nuh-uh! I had everything in organized piles! Now look at it!" He gestured to the now scattered piles around him, his dolls flurrying about as they echoed him.

I quirked a brow. "Seriously? Organized piles?" I giggled at him. "You're ridiculous."

His eye twitched. "Just help me fix it!" His dolls squealed after him.

I spent the next hour or so helping Bickslow fix his weird ass piles… which he was apparently very particular about. It was actually pretty funny.

* * *

I had snuck out of the house without anyone noticing. It was a beautiful, clear night with a full moon and I wanted to go for a walk. Full moons reminded me of Krystallos… he had loved to watch them. I absentmindedly fiddled with the crystal necklace that he had given me. Again, for another countless time, I wondered what had happened to him. He had taken me in after my sister had run off because she couldn't control her magic… and I was all alone. We had never really known our parents, and she had always taken care of me, but she was afraid that she would turn me into stone… so she had left me. But Krystallos had found me not long after, and he had become my father. He taught me so much more than magic… I wished that I could talk to him now. He always knew the right thing to say and do, and I needed his advice now more than ever. But he would probably be so disappointed in me. I had been so foolish and become so weak, after all. Who would want a daughter like me?

"Hey." A gruff voice reached my ears.

I turned to see Gajeel behind me. "Hey." I stopped and waited for him to catch up to me.

"What are you doing out here so late at night?" He asked as he made it beside me.

I shrugged as we fell into step together. "It was a pretty night, so I wanted to go for a walk… what about you?"

"I was out training and lost track of time." He scratched the back of his head.

I tilted my head to the side as I watched him. "So where's Pantherlily?"

"He went on ahead a while ago." He seemed distracted by something.

We walked in silence for a while… it was a peaceful quite. Then, suddenly, he stopped abruptly and caught my wrist. I turned to look at him, confused at his action.

"Wanna grab a drink?" He gestured to a bar that was still open, serving drinks on a patio.

A drink actually sounded pretty good right now. "Sure. I'd love to." I smiled at him, earning a smile in return.

* * *

A few hours had passed and we were still on the patio of the bar, drinking, and exchanging stories about our dragons. We had already had several rounds, and we were getting quite loud, but no one really seemed to mind, because everyone else was in the same condition. With enough alcohol, I had let down some of my barriers, and I was able to laugh and enjoy myself. I listened while Gajeel told me another story about Metalicana.

"Wait, so he seriously threw you off of a mountain?!" I asked him, wide eyed and completely engulfed in his story.

"Yeah! Just because I said he was acting like a grumpy old man!" Gajeel laughed as he recalled the memory.

"That's crazy!" I tried to picture a tiny Gajeel being thrown from a mountain by an iron dragon. The thought made me laugh.

"And he was even cranky enough to make sure that I landed safely in a mushy mud puddle." Gajeel added, still laughing. "From then on, I made sure to run after I insulted him."

I struggled to breathe through my laughter. The mental image of a tiny, mud-covered Gajeel spitting out an insult and then running from a giant, angry dragon was just hilarious. "Wow! I can't say that Krystallos ever threw me off of a mountain… but he did have a habit of throwing me into the lake that we stayed by."

"Really?! Is it 'cause you called him cranky?!" Gajeel seemed to be excited at the thought of me being tossed into a lake.

"No! It was usually because I'd piss him off by not waking up when he wanted me to… I used to be a real heavy sleeper... And I would ignore him in the mornings. So he would toss me into the lake."

Gajeel burst into laughter all over again. "That's awesome!"

"It is not!" I poked his chest. "He'd even do it when it was cold and snowing! It was cruel and unusual!"

Gajeel only laughed harder. "Can't be worse than being thrown off of a mountain and into a pile of mud."

I glared at him and tried to hide my laughter. It didn't work.

We were brought another round of booze and I took a gulp gratefully. There was nothing like inebriation to help you forget your worries. Everything that I had been worried about just sort of faded away. I couldn't even remember why I had been so anxious and afraid in the first place…

"So. You seem to be really close to a lot of people in the guild." Gajeel's laughter had settled and he was changing the subject. "I hear that you were a part of it when you were a kid… so why did you ever leave?"

I tried to process the question. In my hazy mind, it took a great deal of effort to piece the words together and figure out their meaning. When I finally did, I didn't even hesitate to answer, because I couldn't seem to make the effort to keep my barriers in place. "My sister had left me when we were little, before Krystallos found me… and then Krystallos left me… I wandered for days, looking for him… and then my sister found me. She had joined the guild. She had been looking for me. So I joined it, too. But I still wanted to find Krystallos… I stayed in the guild for a while, because my sister was there… and Natsu, he was looking for his dragon, too… but I spent a lot of time wandering, looking for Krystallos… and there were so many people who told me that dragons weren't even real. But I knew that Krystallos was real… he was my father. When I got older, I decided to become a wandering mage, so that I could spend my time looking for clues about dragons. The old man said that I could stay a member, but it didn't feel right… since I wouldn't be taking any jobs… and I didn't want him to be responsible for anything that I did..." I realized that I was rambling. I wondered if anything that I had said even made sense. I looked up to Gajeel to see him watching me with understanding in his eyes.

He nodded at me. "Yeah, I can get that... I spent a lot of time looking for Metalicana… when I was younger. And even now, if I hear anything about dragons, I can't keep myself from going after it…"

I sighed. I missed Krystallos.

"I'm sure that whatever reason they had for leaving us had to be a good one… They were our fathers, after all. And fathers don't just leave their children." Gajeel spoke reassuringly.

"Not good ones, anyway. And dragons are the best fathers…" I added.

He chuckled. "Yeah. So we're sure to see them again."

I nodded. "Right." I smiled at him.

Some moments passed and then he shouted. "We need to get you a cat!"

I blinked. And then I bust out laughing.

He chugged the rest of his drink and stood up, holding out his hand to me. "Let's get outta here."

I chugged my drink as well before taking his hand and letting him pull me to my feet. "Okay."

I wasn't sure where were going, but I didn't really care. I was in a blissful, alcohol-induced haze. I could tell that Gajeel was also feeling the buzz from the crooked smile on his face and the light dusting of red on his cheeks. He looked pretty adorable like that. And I had never noticed how attractive all of those metal studs were…

I let him pull me along, back out onto the sidewalk, happy to go wherever he wanted to.

* * *

**So Avari and Gajeel spend some time together… where do you think they'll end up?**

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**icecreamnova, I'm glad that you're enjoying it! This story hasn't been getting as much feedback as my other ones have so I wasn't sure if it was any good… but as long as you're reading, I'll keep updating. Thank you for reviewing :)**


	7. Chapter 7: Instinct

Chapter 7: Instinct

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Sunlight crept in through the window, in spite of the heavy curtains. I squeezed my eyes shut, not ready to face the day yet. I was feeling a bit dizzy, but luckily I didn't have a headache. I rolled over, eyes still closed, and snuggled further into the pillow. Some hair tickled my nose, so I fanned all of my hair out behind me. The hair continued to tickle, and as much as I moved my hair, I couldn't get it to stop. So I finally grabbed onto the chunk of hair and tugged, trying to rid it from my face.

"Agh!" A manly voice yelled from in front of me.

I jolted up, eyes wide, and looked down at my clenched hand.

"Let go, dammit!" He yelled again.

I unfurled my fingers and released the thick, raven hair from my grasp. The room spun around me. What the hell was going on? Gajeel?

He sat up beside me and rubbed his head. "What the hell did you do that for?" He grumbled.

I stared at him, trying to figure everything out. He was shirtless, and it was very distracting. The sheets pooled around his waist, and I wondered if he was wearing any clothes at all. "I… uh… I'm sorry." I mumbled, still very dizzy and confused. I quickly looked down at myself, wondering if the unimaginable had happened, but I was relieved to see that I was still wearing my half halter top and shorts under the blankets.

"If there were a lake nearby I'd toss you into it…" He grumbled again before throwing himself back onto the bed and burying his face into his pillow.

I felt myself blushing. Why the hell was I in bed with Gajeel? I tried to remember what had happened last night. We had gone for a walk… then to a bar… then we'd gotten a bit buzzed… maybe a little drunk? And… we'd left the bar… and I didn't want to go home! Because I was scared of running into my sister… I didn't want her to grill me for being out so late, or demand to know who I had been with, or ask to know all of the details… And when I had started freaking out about it… Gajeel had just brought me to his house… and then we'd just fallen asleep? Right? Oh, I hoped that was all that had happened…

"Will you lie the fuck down? It's too early for this shit." Gajeel glared at me through one eye, because the other was still closed against the pillow.

Something in me reacted to his demand and I obeyed immediately, lying down and placing my head back onto the pillow next to his. Even though I knew that he wasn't actually angry, and that it was just his usual personality to speak that way, I couldn't keep that small part of me, which had been beaten and broken into submission, from cringing in fear and doing exactly what I was told to avoid punishment. It made me feel weak and cowardly. It was humiliating… to know that this still existed within me. The basic human instinct to avoid pain… but I wasn't even in any danger. I was frustrated and disgusted with myself. How could I be so weak?

"Did you sleep alright?" He whispered, breaking me from my thoughts.

I nodded. Then I realized that he couldn't see. "Yes, thank you."

"Good." He rolled onto his back and stretched his body out.

In spite of everything, I couldn't keep myself from watching him. The way his muscles moved beneath his skin was just so enticing. What the hell was wrong with me? Stupid primal, dragon instincts… His chest and abs were so well sculpted. The metal studs on his body glinted in the small amount of sunlight, a catching contrast against his smooth, tanned skin. His arms were so muscular and toned. Again, the sheets pooled at his waist. I bit the edge of my lip, wondering what was underneath…

"Like what you see?" There was amusement in his gruff voice.

I looked up to see a wide smirk adorning his face. The look in his red eyes clearly said that he had been watching me. Dammit. I had been caught in the act. I released my lip and looked away, trying not to blush. "I don't know what you mean."

He chuckled. And the next thing I knew, I was underneath him, my body pinned beneath his and his arms on either side of me. I gasped in surprise, no longer able to keep the blush from rising to my cheeks. He laughed down at me. Without another word, he began to plant kisses along my jaw… then trailed them down my neck, nibbling softly. I shivered and a slight moan escaped my lips. His teeth traced their way to my collar bone, where he bit down and sucked, causing me to moan louder. His hands ran down my body, one landing on my waist and holding me, his palm hot on my skin, while the other slowly made its way to my breast… where it began to massage through my shirt.

I felt hot and breathless. It was taking all of my restraint not to reach up and touch him. And oh, how I wanted to touch him… "Ga-Gajeel." I whispered his name, stuttering as I did.

"Mhm." He hummed against my neck, sending another wave of shivers down my spine.

I suddenly forgot why I had ever wanted to resist this. As his hot, slick tongue ran across my neck, I lost all train of thought. My fingers brushed against his arms, feeling warm skin, and I realized that I wanted more. I arched my body against his as I ran my hands up his arms and shoulders, down and up his back, and then down and up his chest. I groaned, satisfied at the feeling.

I got so caught up in him that I didn't even realize that he had untied my top until it slipped from my body and his warm hands were groping my breasts. I gasped and moaned at the sensation, writhing beneath him. When his hot mouth latched onto my nipple, I lost all sense of self control. Before I realized what I was doing, I had removed his pants and was gripping his hard manhood. He growled as he clashed his lips against mine, biting down on my lower lip and dragging it through his teeth before pushing his tongue into my mouth to swirl with mine.

He made quick work of my shorts and underwear, removing them from my body and tossing them to the side. I was naked underneath him, and he was naked over me. I was still pumping his length in my hand, and his hips were moving along with me. His fingers brushed over my moist entrance before circling over my clit. I moaned and arched against him. Then two of his fingers plunged inside of me, teasing me from the inside as I continued to grasp onto him. We worked each other into a frenzy, until finally he pulled away and trapped both of my wrists, pinning them at my sides. I breathed heavily and looked up at his wild grin, only getting more turned on by it.

He rubbed his length against my warmth, teasing me as he grinned. I bit my lip to restrain my moan and looked down at where our bodies connected. Damn. Who knew the metal studs would be there, too? I was strangely aroused by it. His hands released my wrists and ran down my body.

He clutched my hips and whispered into my ear. "Brace yourself."

My legs wrapped around him in pure instinct as he pulled me up by my hips and rammed himself into me. I screamed out in sheer pleasure as he filled me, stretching me from the inside and going in deep. His hands moved to grip my ass and he pulled my bottom half upward, arching my back, as he kneeled up on the bed. With only my shoulders and head still on the mattress, he began to thrust himself in and out of me, scraping along my front wall and hitting my spot with every plunge. I couldn't keep from screaming as I helplessly gripped the sheets around me. He growled as he continued his relentless assault, clearly enjoying himself. I watched his body move… the way his muscles flexed beneath his tanned skin… the way his strong arms held me in place… the way his wild, black hair moved around him… and the sexy metal studs that decorated his body… everything about him turned me on. And the way he was pounding into me, growling over me, was so animalistic.

"Gajeel, I… Gajeel!" I screamed his name as my orgasm ruptured within me.

A laugh mingled in with his growls. "Yeah, that's right, Avi!" He pumped into me a few more times and his entire body tensed. "Yeah!" He rode out his own orgasm before pulling out and collapsing down beside me.

The world spun around me as I panted for air. I sat up to try and clear my head, but warm arms were quickly wrapped around me. He pulled me onto his lap so that I was straddling his waist. I looked down to see him grinning up at me, his red eyes blazing as his large hands rested on my hips.

"I'm not done with you, yet…" He rumbled. His thumbs caressed my hip bones and I shuddered at his touch.

I bit my lip as I looked at him. I wanted to kiss the metal studs on his chin… so I did. "What else did you have in mind?" I whispered.

His grin widened as he lifted me up and then dropped me back down, impaling me with his manhood. I shrieked at the sudden feeling, gripping onto his chest. He chuckled as he bucked his hips, hitting me even deeper within. As I adjusted to the penetration, I began to move, rocking my body against his and moving him in and out of me. He groaned at the feeling, gripping harder onto my hips. I was so overwhelmed with pleasure that I could barely maintain a decent pace. I'd start off slow, and speed up with a desperate need, and then slow back down when it all became too much.

"Oh, fuck, Avi… Stop being such a tease." Gajeel growled from below me. He had a bruising grip on my thighs now, and his head was tilted back as he groaned.

"You just…" It was hard to speak through my panting and moans. "..feel so good…" I groaned deeply as I felt the pressure winding tightly inside of my core. "…so fucking good."

He grabbed the back of my knees and wrapped my legs around him as he suddenly sat up. I gripped his shoulders as he started to shove his hips against mine, driving himself into me at an insane pace. The pressure in me immediately snapped and exploded around me. I screamed and my nails dug into his back.

"Gajeel!"

"Fuck your teasing." He growled out through clenched teeth, his muscles going into spasms as he emptied himself into me again.

Without so much as a pause, or even removing himself from me, he pressed me down onto my back, and continued thrusting. With his grip on the back of my knees, he pinned my legs down by my head, contorting my body. My head hung backward over the end of the bed, sending my blood rushing. I had one hand still on his shoulder, but the other tangled into the thick, black hair at the nape of his neck. I screamed until my throat was raw, barely able to withstand the euphoric pleasure that crashed over me in intense waves.

"Dammit, Avari! I fucking love your screams!" Gajeel yelled as he hammered into me.

"Fuck, Gajeel!" I screamed his name, feeling close to another orgasm.

"Hell, yeah, Avi! You know you like it!"

"I fucking like it, Gajeel!"

He bit down on my neck, and I cried out as another orgasm, the most intense yet, exploded through my senses. It rushed through me and left every part of me tingling. I couldn't think. I couldn't breathe. I was all sensation. I was vaguely aware of him growling my name as he pumped through his own orgasm. When he was finished, he pulled me from the end of the bed and up onto the pillows, letting us collapse next to each other.

My entire body was sore. Both my throat and womanhood were completely raw. I breathed heavily, listening to him breathing beside me, as well. My heart was racing in my chest. My thoughts were finally breaking through the haze of passion… and I was shocked by what I had done. I had allowed myself to give in to my instincts. I had thrown away my sense of reason and the lessons that I had learned… just for sex… very hot sex… with a very hot, sexy man… I shook my head. Meaningless sex… that's all it was. It meant nothing. It was just my primal urges. And he was a dragon slayer, too. So he had the same urges that I did. When I looked at it that way, I could see that the encounter was nearly unavoidable. Now I just couldn't let myself get attached. I couldn't let myself be susceptible to him. I couldn't be vulnerable. Not again…

* * *

**Ohhh…. So Avari had a sleepover with Gajeel… What do you think Avari's sister and the others will have to say about her staying out all night?**

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**icecreamnova, that does sound like Juvia! lol… Laxus will be in the next chapter :) And thank you! I really appreciate you reading and reviewing :D**


	8. Chapter 8: The Challenge

Chapter 8: The Challenge

* * *

I was walking down the sidewalk with Gajeel and Pantherlily, lost in thought. Gray had gone off with Erza on a job, so I had a temporary relief of his over-protectiveness. And I had still managed to avoid my sister and the others, so I hadn't had to explain why I hadn't come home yet. I hoped that they hadn't even noticed and assumed that I had just left early this morning…

"I'm telling you, Avari needs a cat!" Gajeel shouted down at Pantherlily.

"How many times do I have to tell you?!" Pantherlily shot back. "We're Exceeds, not cats!"

I giggled at them. "Gajeel, I told you… I don't need an Exceed."

"You're a dragon slayer. You need a cat!" He grumbled loudly.

"Exceed!" Pantherlily corrected.

Right about that time, we saw a huge bolt of lightning flashing in the distance, from the woods. We all turned to look.

"Laxus…" I whispered.

"Come on!" Gajeel grabbed my arm and took off running.

Surprised, there was nothing I could do but run along with him. We made our way through the trees, and out of nowhere, Natsu was running alongside us.

"Natsu?" I thought that he was back at the guild hall… with Lucy and that other girl, Michelle.

"Oh! Hey, Avi!" He smiled at me happily.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" Gajeel snapped at him.

Natsu's smile fell from his face as he turned to Gajeel. "I'm gonna challenge Laxus!" He shouted with determination.

"Pft. Please! Like last time? When I had to save your ass?!"

"I didn't need your help last time! I could have beaten him on my own!"

"Yeah, it looked like you were doing real well… all charred, bleeding, and shit!"

Before they could finish their argument, Laxus and the Thunder God Tribe came into view. Ah, shit… The three of us skidded to a stop in front of them. Laxus had his back to us, but he was slowly turning to look and see who had come up behind him. Before he could even finish turning around, my sister began yelling.

"You! Where the hell were you last night?! We were worried sick!" She pointed at me accusingly.

I squinted my eyes against the rage that was boiling off of her and scratched the back of my head. "I, uh…"

"I stayed up all night waiting for you! And then I went out looking for you! Even Freed and Bickslow looked for you! We haven't gotten any sleep because we were so busy trying to find you! And you left without a word to any of us! Do you know how thoughtless that was?! Do you?!" She continued to scream.

I opened my mouth to answer, still unsure as to what I would say, but she started screaming again before I had even figured it out.

"And we've been looking for you all morning! You're lucky that Gray said that he saw you this morning or else we'd still be panicking over your safety! Honestly, Avari! How selfish can you be?! You need to let us know if you're going to be out all night!"

Even Gajeel and Natsu had shrunk back and were cowering behind me, fearful of her wrath. Freed and Bickslow stood at her sides, agreement on their faces. Laxus stood in the middle of us, looking back and forth between my sister and me with his brow raised.

"What the hell did you do, Avi?" Laxus asked, trying to figure out why my sister was so angry.

Again, I opened my mouth to answer, but was cut off by my sister.

"Oh, Laxus!" She flung herself onto him. "She snuck off last night without telling us, and then she never came home! We were all so worried!" Her attitude had changed from furious to distraught.

He looked at her with a bored expression. "She _is_ an adult, Ever…" He mumbled.

"But that doesn't mean she can wander off without even telling us!" She whined. Then she turned back to me with a glare. "And where were you, anyway?!"

My body tensed beneath her hard glare. For a moment I wondered if she had turned me to stone, then I realized that she was still wearing her glasses and that I could still move. Dammit, being stone would be so much easier.

Bickslow stormed across the distance between us and lifted me up by my shoulders. "Well?" His dolls echoed his demanding question.

"Um…" I rolled my eyes into the air, avoiding all eye contact.

"Avari…" Freed's voice was stern.

"Dammit!" I shouted, frustrated by my situation.

"Leave her alone." Laxus drawled in a bored tone.

My eyes darted down and met his. He wore a disinterested expression, but there was something else glimmering beneath his eyes.

Bickslow dropped me with a sigh.

I landed on my feet, but lost my balance, so I had to grab onto Bickslow's arm to catch myself. "Dammit, Bickslow!"

He laughed but he helped me stand up straight.

When everything settled back down, Natsu shouted, seeming to remember why he was here. "Laxus!" He pointed at him. "I want to challenge you! So that we can finally see exactly who's the strongest between us!"

"And I wanna challenge you, too!" Gajeel followed suit.

"No way!" Freed shouted back, jumping in front of Laxus, my sister and Bickslow at his sides. "Laxus doesn't need to waste his time with you. We'll be the ones to fight you!"

"No." Laxus spoke up. "I'll defeat them with my own two fists."

Freed caught Laxus' eyes and nodded, then they all stepped out of his way.

"So… I'll start with you, Natsu." Laxus smiled.

"Alright! I'm all fired up!" Natsu smiled back at him.

I made sure to give them plenty of room, moving back with everyone else as they prepared to fight. And then a girlish cry broke through the trees.

"Wait!" Wendy fell through, into the clearing, tripping forward over a large root.

I caught her so that she wouldn't fall, eyeing her to try and figure out why she was here. Carla wasn't far behind. Wendy struggled to catch her breath as everyone watched her and waited for her to explain herself.

"Thank you." She smiled at me as she straightened herself out of my arms.

"No problem… So why did you stop their fight?"

"Because!" She continued to smile. "A showdown like this should have a plan! It shouldn't be just a random battle… You need time to prepare for it!"

Everyone just stared at her questioningly, so she kept going.

"So…" Her smile faded as she seemed to lose a bit of confidence with everyone staring at her. "Why don't we… just have your fight tomorrow, instead? So it will be more sophisticated!"

Natsu pounded his fist into his palm. "I don't care when it is, I'll win either way!"

Laxus shrugged. "Sure, I don't care."

"Okay!" Natsu pointed at Laxus. "We'll fight tomorrow at the Sola Tree in South Gate Park."

Gajeel pointed at him next. "And then I'll fight you after that."

Laxus shrugged again and turned to walk away. "Whatever." He stopped as he was walking. Without turning he called out to me. "Come on, Avi."

My eyes widened, but I didn't hesitate. I ran after him and quickly made my way to his side. When I did, he resumed walking, and we left everyone behind as we headed further into the trees.

* * *

Only after I had walked with him for a while did I realized that I had followed yet another command… like a pathetic little puppy. What the hell was wrong with me? I sighed. It was because of Erik… I really had to break this habit.

"So, how have you been?" Laxus asked once we had reached the river. He sat down near it and leaned against a boulder, gesturing for me to do the same.

I remembered that he knew nearly everything… and I felt exposed. I sat down next to him and watched the water flowing in front of us. "Okay, I guess… As you can see, my sister has been kind of protective… as well as the others."

He chuckled. "She can go a bit over board. But I'm glad that they're looking out for you."

I smiled. "Yeah. It's nice to be around people that care…"

"And what about your nightmares?"

I laughed. "Laxus, you saw me have one nightmare, that doesn't mean that they're a consistent thing…"

"But they are, aren't they?" He turned to face me and looked at me knowingly.

I saw him from the corner of my eye. "Yeah… well." I sighed. "By the way… Thank you for telling Freed to, you know, keep an eye out for them."

"Of course."

"I don't have them all the time… but when I do, it's a relief to have someone there."

He nodded.

Some moments of silence passed before he fully turned to me and set me in a heavy stare. Curious, I tore my gaze from the river and turned to face him.

"So… where were you last night?" His tone was stern.

Dammit… not him, too! I sighed. "Laxus…"

"Don't play with me, Avari." He rolled his eyes. "I know that you were with Gajeel. I can smell him all over you."

I groaned. "Then why did you ask?"

"Because I want you to tell me why." His eyes softened a little. "You can talk to me, Avi. I thought that you knew that…"

I bit the inside of my cheek. I had a strange relationship with Laxus. I still wasn't sure why I had told him about Erik… It's just that, he was the first one that I had seen after I regained my freedom. And in spite of the fact that I didn't want to let anyone in, I needed to be able to rely on someone… And I had always admired Laxus. When I looked into his eyes, I knew that I could trust him. "Things have just been… so overwhelming, I guess. And it's not like I ended up with him on purpose… We ran into each other and went out for a drink. And then it was so late that I didn't want to go home and… jeez this sounds awful… I didn't want to deal with Evergreen and her relentless questions. I know that she's just trying to look after me, but I don't want her to know every detail of my life. So, somehow, since we were kinda drunk I guess… I ended up with Gajeel… and you know how bad dragon urges can be! So, yeah…" I trailed off.

His face was a mask. "So you really haven't told anyone else… about what happened with you?"

"No. You're the only one who knows." I answered him softly. "Though there are some who can tell that something's up with me… They say I'm not the same… Like my sister, of course. And Freed, since he's been with me through my nightmares. And Gray has asked me about it. I'm sure others have noticed, too… I try to hide it, but… it's hard to act like the person that I used to be, when I'm just not that person anymore."

He sighed. "Avari, you shouldn't have to hide anything."

I met his eyes. "But I do, Laxus. I have to hide everything. I don't want anyone to know…" I could feel tears building up in my eyes.

He quickly gathered me up in his arms and pulled me into his lap. "Shhh… It's alright, Avi. I'm here." He mumbled into my hair.

I laid my head into his chest and tried to steady my breathing.

"Avi… how much are you hiding from me?" He spoke so quietly that I wasn't even sure if I heard him correctly, or if I was even meant to hear him at all.

* * *

**In the next chapter, someone starts stalking Avari... can anyone guess who the stalker is?**

* * *

**icecreamnova, thank you so much! Well the only one who found out was Laxus… but her sister and the others were quite suspicious! Thank you for reviewing! :)**


	9. Chapter 9: A Strange Feeling

Chapter 9: A Strange Feeling

* * *

"What's all of this?" I looked around the park and eyeballed all of the food stands, entertainment, and crowds of people.

"It's a festival!" Mirajane proclaimed proudly. "For the fight between Laxus, Natsu, and Gajeel!"

I smiled at her enthusiasm. And then I spotted turkey legs and ran off after them. Yum.

* * *

Laxus arrived right on time, the Thunder God Tribe crowding around him. Natsu was grinning and ready to fight. Gajeel stood beside me, also grinning. I watched as Laxus and Natsu stepped toward each other, their magic energy swirling around them. Adrenaline and excitement rushed through me, and suddenly I wished that _I_ had challenged somebody to a fight. Natsu charged Laxus, his fist raised, ready to strike and an epic battle cry coming from his mouth… and Laxus downed him in one hit. Natsu hit the ground hard, landing in a body-shaped crater. I giggled at how easily it had been for Laxus to take him out. Laxus lifted his head and turned, ready to take on Gajeel next. I looked to my side, only to find myself alone. Gajeel had disappeared. The hell?

"Where the hell did he go?!" Pantherlily yelled.

"He ran from battle! How unmanly!" Elfman shouted.

I burst into laughter. Gajeel had seriously run from Laxus! Everyone clambered about, forming search parties to go and look for him. I laughed harder when I heard Pantherlily going on about how he had lost all respect for Gajeel. Somewhere in the commotion, Laxus and the others had walked off. I decided I didn't care to look for Gajeel. So I went home.

* * *

I was at home with my sister and the others when a strange feeling came over me. It was a cold fear, like ice splintering through my veins. I felt like I was being watched… like I was being scrutinized by unfriendly eyes. I looked around the room, seeing Bickslow on the couch beside me and Freed across the room, reading a book. My sister was at the table, painting her nails. I was safe. I didn't feel safe. I scooted closer to Bickslow and leaned against him, trying not to let my fear show in my eyes.

"Awww, does little Avi wanna cuddle?!" He shouted happily and wrapped his arms around me, snuggling his cheek against the top of my head.

For once, I was grateful for Bickslow's weirdness. I curled into his body and tried to hide from the outside world. It seemed like a cold, dark aura was seeping in through the windows, trying to reach me. In Bickslow's arms, I found some relief. He laughed and clutched onto me tightly, his carefree attitude providing a combating warmth to the cold that was plaguing me. I relished in it.

* * *

That feeling had not left me. I refused to sleep alone, which was fine, since Freed had made it a habit of sleeping in my bed when I needed him. But I also refused to leave the house, which drew the concern of the others. I had blown off all of their questions, and when Evergreen demanded answers, I hid in my room and locked the door.

"Avari!" She pounded on the door. "Tell me what's wrong!"

"I told you that I'm fine, Evergreen!"

"You are not fine! If you were fine then you'd leave the house! And you'd sleep alone! And you wouldn't cuddle Bickslow!" She shouted indignantly.

I groaned, burying my head beneath a pillow. "And if I wanted to talk about it then I would!"

"Don't worry, Avi! I love cuddling you!" Bickslow shouted from somewhere in the house, clearly able to hear our conversation. "And I'm sure Freed doesn't mind sleeping with you! I sure as hell wouldn't!" He added with a wicked laugh.

"Dammit Bickslow!" I yelled back at him, feeling myself blush at his implications.

Freed coughed from the other side of the wall that connected our rooms. "Avari, you really should tell us what's wrong. We're only worried about you, you know." He tried to get the subject back on track.

Great. Now they were all talking at me through the walls and doors. Gah! "I love all of you and thank you for your concern! But I just want to be left alone!"

Evergreen screamed in frustration before stomping away, dropping it… for now.

As soon as it was quiet, the eerie feeling crept back over me. I buried myself in my bed, wishing that it would just go away… whatever it was.

* * *

Gray had come by to check on me, and I had let him in, but I had only told him that I hadn't been feeling well. He didn't buy my excuse, but he seemed very distracted by everything that had been going on with the guild.

Apparently, some religious group had attacked and stolen the memento that Lucy's father had left her. And it turns out that the memento was actually a piece of a clock or something, and it was related to a book that Lucy had. They had all decided to go off and look for the rest of the pieces. Gray was about to leave with Juvia, and he wanted me to come with him. I refused, of course. I felt bad… the guild was going through all of this trouble, and I wasn't even helping them. I should be there for them. But here I was, hiding in my house like a scared little child… and all over something that I couldn't even see. What the hell was wrong with me?

After several failed attempts at persuading, Gray finally conceded. "Fine." He sighed. "But will you at least tell me what's wrong with you?"

I looked down towards the floor, clutching my pillow to my chest. We were in my room, so that no one would interrupt us. I was leaning on my headboard and he was sitting on the edge of my bed beside me, at my waist.

"Avari… Evergreen told me that you haven't left the house. And looking at you now… Something's wrong! Just tell me so that I can help you." He was starting to get frustrated.

I couldn't understand… he was already busy helping everyone else. Why would he want to help me? "I'm sorry, Gray… I just…" I sighed, unable to think of anything to say.

He sighed too, very heavily. He ran a hand through his hair before leaning over me, his arm landing on the other side of my waist, trapping me under him. His other hand raised up to caress my cheek. "Avari, you don't have to go through everything alone. I'm here for you. I want to help you."

I bit my lip as I stared into his eyes… they were so sincere. He used his thumb to pull my lip from my teeth… and then he leaned in and kissed me. He pulled the pillow from my hands as he climbed further onto the bed and hovered over me, placing his body in its place. I returned his kiss, hesitantly, as my hands slowly found their way to his back. His motions were soft and tentative, his fingers delicate as they ran through my hair and across my skin. I felt his tongue push past my lips and into my mouth. It was a beautiful feeling. Our tongues twirled together as our bodies pressed closer to one another.

I was breathless when he pulled away. I even felt a little dazed. I looked up into his smoldering eyes and my heart pounded against my chest.

"Please, Avi…" He whispered, pressing his forehead against mine. "Just tell me what's bothering you… And I'll do whatever I can to fix it."

I blinked as I processed his words. And then I smiled softly. "I can't tell you, Gray… because I don't even know, myself."

A slight frown formed on his face. "Then why are you hiding? Why won't you leave the house?"

"I'm scared…" I whispered truthfully, before I could think enough to stop myself. And then I mentally cursed myself for letting that slip.

He cupped my face in his hand and caressed my temple with his thumb. "But you don't know what you're scared of?"

I was surprised when he didn't make fun of me for being scared. Instead, he was just trying to figure it out. "No…" I said, ashamed. "I just feel terrified… especially when I'm alone."

"But you're not alone, Avi. And I told you that I'm here for you. Whatever it is that's making you feel this way, I'll protect you from it." He seemed so confident… and so genuine. "And I'm not the only one. You're a part of Fairy Tail, remember?" He smiled as he said that last part.

I managed to smile back at him. "Thank you, Gray…"

* * *

Gray had finally left to go on his mission, still reluctant to leave without me. But I had felt better since I had seen him. But there was still the strange sensation that I was being watched… by something dark.

Freed had come back from the guild hall with a mission for the Thunder God Tribe and they wanted me to come along, but I felt conflicted. On one hand, I still did not fancy the idea of leaving the house. On the other, I did not want to be left alone. Then I remembered what Gray had said. I wasn't alone. I was a member of Fairy Tail. So I decided that I did not want to go on the mission with them, and that I did not want to stay in the house, either. I wasn't going to let an unknown fear dictate my actions. So I assured them that I would be fine and helped them pack for their mission. By the time they left, night was falling. I watched them leave, wishing them good luck, and headed for the guild hall.

As I progressed, however, the sick feeling returned, and only increased. The more I tried to ignore it, the worse that it got. It felt like something was breathing down my neck… like I was being hunted. I quickened my pace. I kept looking over my shoulder, but only saw shadows and trees in the night. I had made it to the fields that surrounded the guild hall, and it was a long stretch before I would make it there. I hurried along the dirt road, watching every direction. I turned to look behind me again, and I bumped into something hard, falling backward.

Strong arms caught me and held me up. Large hands held a firm grasp on my arms. A deep chuckle sounded and I turned slowly, just as a husky voice sounded in the dark. "My Avari… I've finally caught you." A sinister grin spread across his face and his teeth glinted in the moonlight. "And now we can be together again."

I trembled in horror. My entire body shook in his unrelenting hold. I felt chills running throughout my veins. I struggled to breathe. How? How could he be here? "Erik…" I heard myself whisper, completely disbelieving.

I heard him laugh. And then everything went black.

* * *

**So what do you think Erik will do now that he's found Avari?**

* * *

**icecreamnova, he sees her as a woman and he finds her attractive, but he became kind of protective over her after hearing her story… if that makes sense ;)**

**Guest, thank you so much! :)**


	10. Chapter 10: Lost Time

Chapter 10: Lost Time

* * *

I woke up with a terrible headache. I opened my eyes, only to find that I had been blindfolded. Pure terror rushed through me. I wanted to scream with it. But apparently I had been gagged, as well. How the hell had this happened? Erik… I had been taken by Erik! I tried to move, but my hands and legs were tied. My magic energy was being restrained, and I realized that the room that I was in had been built with Magic Sealing Stones. What was I going to do? My sister and the others were gone, and everyone else thought that I had locked myself at home… No one would know… No one would know that I had been taken. Desperation crawled through me, and I heard myself whimper in defeat.

"Oh. Are you awake, my love?" Erik's voice sounded somewhere nearby.

I squirmed against my restraints, trying to get away from him, knowing that it was useless. I was able to sit up, but I felt my back hit a wall.

The blindfold was lifted from my eyes and I squinted against the light. When I was able to focus, his face filled my vision. He had changed over the years… He was missing an eye, for one thing, with a straight scar in its place. His hair was wilder, more untamed, but it still stood straight on his head. There was an even greater darkness in his eyes. He was smirking, but I could tell that a rage slithered just beneath, like a feral beast, ready to break through. And yet he was just as composed as ever. His strong body held with refined posture, exuding pride and arrogance.

"Did you miss me, Avari?" He whispered as he leaned further in.

I felt tears pooling in my eyes.

He smiled as he caressed my cheek. "You're just as beautiful as ever…"

He pulled the gag from my mouth and crushed his lips against mine, slamming my head into the wall behind me. His tongue invaded my mouth and thrashed inside of it. I felt his hands groping over my body, squeezing in bruising holds. He pulled away, and I gasped for air.

"Speak to me, Avari. I want to hear your voice." He demanded, staring into my eyes.

I didn't know what to say. But I knew that if I didn't say something, and fast, that he would punish me… seven years may have passed, but, he still seemed the same. "Erik, I… How?" I wanted to ask how he had escaped the Magic Council, but I was afraid that would anger him. "How are we together, now?" I thought that maybe he would like that question better.

He grinned. "It's great, isn't it? I've waited seven long years to get you back, Avi… and here you are. I can't believe you disappeared on me like that." He frowned when he said his last sentence.

I felt the need to defend myself. "I'm sorry, Erik. We- I mean I- I was trapped on an island… in a state of stasis. Time didn't pass for me."

"So I've heard." He rolled his eyes. "All because you had to go running back to those Fairy Tail punks."

I felt anger spark in me at the insult to my guild. "They took care of me… after you got yourself caught." I smarted off before I could think about it.

Sharp pain lanced through my cheek as my head flung to the side. I blinked my vision clear as I realized that he had back handed me. I tasted blood in my mouth.

"I wouldn't have gotten caught if it hadn't been for fucking Fairy Tail!" He shouted angrily as he stood up in front of me.

I glared up at him. "You wouldn't have gotten caught if you hadn't tried to unleash Nirvana! It's your own fault for fucking with dark magic!" I spouted out, yelling without even realizing it.

His eyes widened and he seemed taken back by my outburst. That was before he grabbed me up by my hair and slammed me against the wall. "What the hell has gotten into you?!"

The anger that I had felt subsided, and I withered beneath him. Even then, I couldn't bring myself to apologize. He growled angrily and threw me to the side. Unable to brace myself, I fell helplessly to the floor, landing painfully on my hip and shoulder before my head smashed against the hardwood. I cried out from the pain, my vision blurring momentarily.

"Dammit!" He yelled furiously. "Fuck, Avari! You just have to piss me off, don't you?!" He pulled me up from the ground by my shoulders, and I yelped as he squeezed the fresh bruise. "Why can't you ever just cooperate?!"

I hung helplessly in his grasp, trying to hold in my cries of pain.

"Ugh! It's our first time together in seven years and instead of it being a nice fucking reunion, you have to run your damn mouth!" He shook me in his rage, and I couldn't keep from shrieking. "Just learn to shut your fucking attitude, will you?!"

Pain shot from my head, shoulder, and hip. My vision was blurred, but I think it was from tears. I could still taste blood, and it was making me nauseous. I just wanted him to stop. "I'm sorry, Erik… I'm so sorry. I just missed you so much…" I whimpered through my cries.

He huffed. "And how do you think I felt?!" He still held me in the air, but he stopped shaking me. "I was rotting away in that fucking prison for seven years! And then I finally get out, just to find that you moved on to Fairy Tail, the very guild that put me in there! And to top it all off, Cubellios is missing! So not only do I have to fucking kidnap you to get you back, I have to fucking find Cubellios!" He shouted right into my face, apparently blaming me for everything.

"What did you expect me to do, Erik?" I whispered, regretting it instantly.

"You should have fucking kept Cubellios with you! And waited for me, dammit!" He hurled me to the floor again, lost to his rage.

I landed on my back, crushing my own hands since they were still tied behind me, and my breath was knocked from me. I wasn't thrown as far this time, but the impact still hurt. As soon as I could, I heaved in enough air to fill my lungs. The effort sent sparks of pain through my body. I tried not to move my head, because it was aching so severely. I wanted to move my arms to try and relieve my shoulder, but it wasn't possible. I stared at the ceiling, my head swimming with thoughts.

So… not only had he lost me, but he'd also lost Cubellios. He and Cubellios had been together since he was a child, and she meant a lot to him. He must be feeling great pain right now… That's why he was so angry. I could understand that. I knew what it was like to lose someone that I loved.

"Erik…" I whispered, the effort of talking making my head pound. "I'm sorry. I didn't know that Cubellios was gone. I should have stayed with her…" I felt saddened, pained by his pain. "But I'll help you find her… if I can." I wanted to, but I wasn't sure if I would be allowed to. "I'm so sorry, Erik."

He took a breath. And then I heard him walking toward me. He scooped me up into his arms and I bit my lip to keep from crying in pain. He walked over to the bed and sat down, cradling me to his chest. "I'm sorry, Avari… I lost my temper… But you're usually understanding, and… you just pissed me off…" He grumbled, pulling me closer to him.

I nuzzled his chest, in spite of the pain that lanced through me at the motion. "I'm sorry, Erik. I really am."

He rocked me in his arms for a while, and eventually my pain dulled, leaving me with only a throbbing headache. I inhaled his scent, and I found that it was comforting. Had I really missed him? He moved to undo the rope around my wrists, freeing my arms. As soon as they were free, I wrapped them around his shoulders, drawing myself closer to him. He turned his head and smiled into my neck.

"Avi…" He whispered, his breath tickling my neck. "I missed you so much…"

I ran my fingers across the nape of his neck. "I missed you, too." The words came out on their own. I wondered how much I meant them.

He untied my legs as he pressed his lips to my collarbone. He tossed the ropes aside and then ran his hands over my calves and thighs. The skin to skin contact was warm and arousing. I laced a hand through his thick, red hair… quickly losing myself. Everything about him was so familiar… his scent, his skin, his body… the way he held me… the way he touched me… I had loved him… at one time. Did I still love him? No… I couldn't.

"Avari..."

I melted when he said my name. His voice was so deep and alluring. And then his hot, soft lips met mine, and I was completely lost. He pushed me down against the mattress as his tongue found its way into my mouth. I moaned as his tongue ravaged every part of my mouth. He had a hand on my thigh, which he used to pull me closer to him. His other hand was running along my curves, gripping in all of the right places. He was rough… his calloused hands were warm and demanding. But I reveled in his touch. His hand crept beneath my skirt and I gasped when his fingers shoved my panties to the side so that he could tease my entrance.

He chuckled breathily into my ear. "You're fucking soaked."

I shivered as his warm breath brushed against my ear and neck. "That's because I've missed you…"

He grinned as he swept his fingers over me again before bringing them to his mouth, licking my juices off of them as he watched me. "Then show me… Show me just how much you missed me." He growled the words seductively.

Then he sat back onto his legs and pulled me up by my hair. He shoved my face down towards his crotch, and I knew exactly what he wanted. I bent down and undid his pants, letting his long, thick erection spring out. I licked from the bottom to the top, feeling his hard member twitch beneath my tongue. He growled, and I took the tip into my mouth, sucking gently. He did not like teasing… he never had… but I really was enjoying the taste. When he growled again, I got the hint, and I took more of him into my mouth. I swirled my tongue around him as I bobbed my head, earning groans now. I moved a hand to caress his balls, still bobbing as much of him as I could handle without gagging. He continued to groan and his hands fisted into my hair. I grazed him with my teeth, and his body jerked in response.

"Oh, Avi…" He groaned out my name… and I knew what was coming next.

He slammed my head down onto his cock, forcing me to deep throat him. I tried my best not to gag, but it was nearly unavoidable as he pumped himself into the back of my throat, finally coming with full force. I swallowed as much as I could, but somehow some of it ended up on my face and drizzled down my chin and neck.

He pushed me back onto the bed and grinned down on me. "You're so fucking sexy when you're covered in my come…"

And then his lips smashed against mine as his hands moved to rip off my clothes. I felt myself moving to remove his clothes, as well. And then we were both naked… his hot, rough skin moving against mine… his firm, toned muscles… I was breathing heavily just from the feel of him. He didn't waste any time… he pulled my legs around him and then plunged himself into me. I screamed as my insides stretched around him. He was already thrusting in and out.

"Say my name." He growled out. "Scream my name!"

"Erik!" I screamed out, my fingers digging into his back. "Oh, Erik!"

He bit down into my neck… my shoulder… my breast… I could feel skin breaking and bruises forming, but I didn't care.

"Mhm, Erik, please!" I cried out, my body arching against him.

He groaned as he bit my lip, dragging it through his teeth. "Come for me, Avi."

He pinched my clit, and I screamed as I drug my nails across his back, experiencing a very intense orgasm. "Fuck, Erik, yes!"

He sped up his pace, body tensing as his teeth clamped down on my collar bone. "Fuck, Avari!" He growled against my skin as he emptied himself inside of me.

He rested his body on top of mine, still breathing heavily. I reached up to lace my fingers in his soft hair while I used my other hand to caress the muscles in his back. He turned his head and kissed my jaw.

With a smirk, he whispered. "We're going to have so much fun making up for lost time."

* * *

**So do you think Avari might still have some feelings for him? Hmmm…**

* * *

**icecreamnova, lol, thank you! I love Bickslow, he always cracks me up :)**


	11. Chapter 11: Brain II

**5 points to Satoberi and P.S. Ellie :)**

* * *

Chapter 11: Brain II

* * *

I woke up and was assaulted with the memories from last night. I immediately pressed my fingers to my temples to try and soothe my headache. What the fuck had I done? Erik had kidnapped me… had beaten me… and I had fucked him… What the hell was wrong with me? How could I be so stupid? I looked beside me to see Erik still sound asleep. I didn't still have feelings for him… did I? Ugh. I sighed as I carefully crawled out of the bed, trying my best not to wake him. I made my way to the adjoining bathroom, discovering that I couldn't use magic in here, either. With a slump of my shoulders, I stepped into the shower, turning the water on high. I scrubbed my body clean, wincing every time I passed over a bruise or a bite mark… everything about this was way too familiar. I was supposed to be free of him… and yet here I was, battered by his hand… and last night I had felt sorry for him… had sex with him… This wasn't how it was supposed to be.

I wanted to be back at Fairy Tail… with my friends… my family. I wondered how long it would be before my sister realized that I was missing. I wondered if she would be able to find me… or if she would even look for me at all. I shrugged that thought away. Of course she would look for me. They all would.

The shower door opened and Erik stepped in behind me. He had never been a morning person, so he looked grumpy and lethal. He let the water run over him before giving me a pointed look. I restrained my sigh as I gathered the soap and began to wash him down… I wasn't in the mood to get beaten right now. As I was lathering his hair, I felt his hands grab onto my hips. He pulled me closer and began to nibble on my neck. I moved away from him, only slightly, but he growled in warning, stopping me in my tracks. He grabbed me up by my thighs and pressed my back against the wall, forcefully wrapping my legs around him.

"E-Erik… not now… please…" I mumbled quietly, hoping that maybe he would just let us finish our shower and leave me alone.

He growled angrily. "I'll fuck you whenever I damn well please."

And then he did. He shoved himself into me, hard and ruthless, and immediately began pounding at a fast pace. I screamed as I dug my nails into his shoulders, trying to distract myself from the pain. He bit down onto my neck, making sure to mark me. His hands were groping and abrasive as they moved from my thighs to my breasts. I let my dragon urges take over, so that it wouldn't hurt so badly… and soon, my body adjusted enough to the point where I started to enjoy his brutality. I clutched onto him as he continued to use my body, my screams of pain turning into screams of pleasure. He grunted as he sped up his pace, if that were even possible, and I felt myself unraveling just as he came inside of me. He growled as he pumped through our orgasms, emptying his hot seed inside of me.

He let my legs slide down his body so that I could stand. After we were properly washed, rinsed, and dried, he dragged me back into the bedroom. He pulled some clothes out of the closet and threw some at me.

"Get dressed." His voice was gruff.

I took the clothes and began to pull them on. He had given me a dark purple dress with a deep v-neck and long skirt with high slits on both sides. There was also a hooded red coat with loose, long sleeves. I was sure to wear it, since it helped to cover the bruises that the dress did not. Unfortunately, neither of them covered the bite marks on my neck or collarbone. The black ankle boots that he had tossed my way were heeled enough to keep the coat from dragging the floor. He didn't give me any underwear, so I was forced to go commando.

After we were both dressed, he led me out of the room. I was distressed to learn that even out in the hallway I was surrounded by Magic Sealing Stones. I should have known that he wouldn't risk me fighting back… We walked past several doors until he pulled me into a very extravagant, well decorated room. But it wasn't the furniture or artworks that caught my attention.

"Midnight!" I rushed forward into the arms of the man that had been my friend when I had been held captive by the Oracion Seis before.

"Avari! I'm happy to see you again!" He actually smiled as he embraced me.

I pulled back enough to return his smile and to get a good look at him. "Wow, your hair has really grown…" I grinned as I pulled on a lock of his thick, black hair, letting it run through my fingers.

He let out a soft chuckle. "And you haven't changed at all."

"Yeah, well…" I sighed, thinking again about how I had been asleep for all of the years that they had been changing. "You and Erik have-" I cut off to correct myself when I heard growling behind me. "I mean Cobra… You and Cobra have both changed quite a bit over the years." It had slipped my mind that I wasn't allowed to use his real name when we weren't alone.

"It's alright. It's been seven years, and you've been asleep for most of it." Midnight's voice was soothing. "By the way, I go by Brain II, now."

I nodded, knowing that Cobra would not be happy if I asked too many questions. I sighed, chancing a look in his direction. He did not look happy with me. I had always been close to, er, Brain II… Back when I was a captive and Cobra was away, Brain II and I would spend a lot of time together, and he had never approved. If he was in a bad mood, I would get punished for it. We had never been anything more than friends, but Cobra didn't like for anyone other him to have my attention.

"Cobra, why don't you go and make sure that everyone is prepared to leave? It will be time to depart soon." Brain II spoke with a strange authority that I did not remember him having.

Cobra gave a grunt and a pointed look in my direction before leaving the room.

I sighed. Now that he was gone, I could speak more freely. I turned back to Brain II, hoping that he hadn't changed too much and that we could pick up where we had left off. I got my answer when he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into another hug.

"Avari, I'm so glad that you're safe." He whispered.

I smiled against his warm coat. "I've missed you, Macbeth."

He gave me another squeeze before pulling away to look me over. "He hasn't hurt you too much, has he?"

I gave him a sigh while I forced a smile. "No more than he used to… I guess I'm lucky that time didn't pass for me… It means that I'm still kinda used to it."

He shook his head with a small pout. "I told him not to be too rough with you…"

"If anyone tries to tell him anything, he's just going to get angrier." I gave a casual shrug. "So what's going on? Are you, like, the new leader or something?"

His eyes lit up as he started to explain. "I am. I've formed the Reborn Oracion Seis. And I'm going to finish what my father started."

I was filled with a sense of dread. Was he talking about Nirvana?

He let out a laugh. "Don't look so afraid, Avari. Everything is going to be alright." He brushed my cheek with the back of his hand. "It's unfortunate that you ran off to Fairy Tail after you left us… You see, they're going to have to pay for humiliating us seven years ago. And I realize that hurting them will hurt you… So I'm apologizing in advance."

"Macbeth… what are you talking about?" I was so confused. Apparently he had changed… this wasn't the same boy that I used to know.

"I'm going to use the Infinity Clock to unleash havoc upon the world, Avari. And right now, Fairy Tail is gathering the pieces for me." A satisfied smirk stretched across his face. "In fact, they're just about finished. And we'll be going to see them so that we can collect what's ours."

"We're going to see them?" Hope filled me. I knew that they should be able to stop whatever horrible thing that he was planning… and maybe get me out of here in the process.

He nodded slowly. "Yes. So I'm also going to apologize for this, my dear Avari."

I watched him skeptically as he stepped away to the dresser, pulling out a pair of magic handcuffs. I took several steps back, until I felt the wall behind me. "Macbeth, what are you doing?"

He sighed then as he made his way toward me. "Unfortunately, Avari, I can't trust you… We've always been good friends, but… I fear that your loyalty may lie with Fairy Tail. So I'm going to have to keep your magic restrained."

He gently took my wrists and clamped the cuffs around them. I didn't fight back. I didn't have the energy to. It didn't really feel any different, since we were already surrounded by Magic Sealing Stone.

He placed his hand atop my head and ran his fingers through my hair. "Come on, let's go."

I forced back all of the mixed feelings and focused on the hope that my guild would figure all of this out. They were strong. They would be able to overcome whatever the hell Macbeth and the Reborn Oracion Seis were planning. I had to believe that.

* * *

**In the next chapter, Fairy Tail finds out that Avari is with the Reborn Oracion Seis. How do you think they'll react?**

* * *

**icecreamnova, don't worry, the Cobra parts won't last forever… thanks for reviewing!**

**Satoberi, lol, yeah, she's still struggling with it though ;)**

**P.S. Ellie, definitely! Lol. Let's see how long it takes her to figure it out. Thank you!**


	12. Chapter 12: The Reborn Oracion Seis

**5 points to P.S. Ellie and Satoberi! :)**

* * *

Chapter 12: The Reborn Oracion Seis

* * *

I looked down to see various members of my guild… Gajeel, Gray, Erza, Mirajane, Natsu, Lucy, as well as several others… along with some other strange people. I was being held in Cobra's grip, unable to move… and unable to perform magic, thanks to the Magic Restraining Handcuffs that Brain II had put on me.

"Avari!" Gray yelled out when he saw me.

"Avi?! What the hell are you doing up there?!" Gajeel stopped what he was doing to gape up at me.

I rolled my eyes. "It's not like I wanted to be here!" And then I looked down at my shoes. "I kinda got kidnapped…"

"Kidnapped?!" A collective chorus of voices shouted.

"How the hell did you manage that?!" Gajeel spurted out.

I huffed. "It wasn't intentional!"

"Don't worry, Avi! I'll save ya!" Natsu let out a burst of fire before rushing in my direction.

"Yeah, you've got nothing to worry about, Avi!" Gray was right behind him.

"It's strange how much the Oracion Seis has changed… and I wonder how they escaped the Magic Council… but you're our top priority, Avari!" Erza called out before joining the charge.

Before I knew it… everyone was calling out my name and rushing forward, trying to get to me. I was in awe… I couldn't believe how much everyone cared about me. It was truly amazing… Cobra growled as he pulled me back, hiding me from their view. Brain II performed some sort of magic attack that I didn't remember him having, stopping them all in their tracks.

"Whoa, is that you, Midnight?" Natsu called out, pointing at Brain II.

"My name is Brain II, now." He remarked casually.

"Yeah and we're the Reborn Oracion Seis, yo!" Jackpot spouted obnoxiously.

Then Brain II lifted his arms, the rest of his guild following suit… and then their mark appeared all over the weird clock that we were standing on.

"We now possess control over the Infinity Clock…" Brain II smiled as the clock rang out in a near deafening noise. "Thank you, Fairy Tail, for helping us attain it."

Then Brain II glanced over at Cobra and Racer and ordered them to deal with Fairy Tail. Reluctantly, Cobra handed me over to him before jumping down to fight my friends. I watched as they all clashed… this was certainly not the Oracion Seis that I remembered. Their magic was different… and even their mannerisms had changed. Racer seemed like a beast. And Cobra was so much stronger. Some man that I didn't know, but had been told to call Grim Reaper, jumped down to fight as well. I watched in horror as my guild was overpowered by the Reborn Oracion Seis.

"Ugh!" Gray yelled out in frustration, getting blown back by an attack from Cobra. "Just what do you want with Avari, anyway?!"

Erza helped him to his feet. "We demand to have her returned to us."

"Hmph." Cobra scoffed. "Avari belongs to me. I was just taking back what's mine."

"No way in hell!" Natsu yelled angrily. "She's a part of Fairy Tail! She belongs with us!"

"So why don't you just hand her over before you get your ass kicked?!" Gajeel added, clearly pissed.

But it was useless… Cobra somehow used all of their yelling against them, making them fall to their knees with the intensity of the sound waves. "Avari is mine… and don't you forget it." He growled out, walking away as they writhed in pain.

And then Angel stepped in, bragging about her new magic before using it to pretty much destroy everything in a blindingly white light. But, of course, the Reborn Oracion Seis escaped… with me and the Infinity Clock in tow.

* * *

After we had escaped the collapse caused by Angel, we regrouped at the Zentopia Church, of all places… with the Infinity Clock, of course… and I was beginning to see that there was a whole lot more involved here. But they wouldn't tell me much. Brain II said that they needed to destroy the rest of the churches… and I wondered just what the hell they were doing, and who exactly was involved with them.

I had been locked in another strange bedroom, with the Magic Sealing cuffs still on, and I was watching Erik as he prepared to leave. And as weird as it was, I was sad to see him go… I didn't want to be left alone in this strange place. I came up behind him, wrapping my arms around his waist and burying my face into his back.

"Do you have to leave?" I whispered, knowing that he would hear me.

He chuckled. "I'll be back soon enough."

I pouted. And strangely enough, he heard it.

"Don't pout, Avi. And stop being so damn sad." He turned around to face me, cupping my face in his hand. "Even though it's pretty fucking cute that you already miss me so much."

Before I could say anything, he pressed his lips against mine, capturing me in a heated kiss. I kissed him back, and he growled as he pulled me closer to him and bit at my lips. His tongue invaded my mouth, and I swept my own tongue against his. I wished that I could make him stay… at least for a little longer…

He pulled away with a smirk on his face. "Sorry Avi… I have to go." He pressed his forehead against mine and sighed. His arms were wrapped tightly around me. "I've finally got you back… and now all I need is to find Cubellios… then everything will be perfect again."

"Well we could travel around together… like we used to. And you could listen for her. You're so much stronger now… we could find her that way." I clung on to him, hoping against hope that I could convince him to just leave with me… that we could run away together and things could go back to the way that they were when we first met… and we could find Cubellios. And he could be happy again. We could both be happy.

His grip on me tightened. "You have no idea how amazing that sounds…" He buried his face in my neck and nibbled lightly on my skin. "I can hear everything that you're thinking and feeling… and I love it. I love that you want to be with me like that." He bit my shoulder before pulling away to look at me. "But I have to finish what I started."

I tried not to frown in disappointment, but there was no hiding anything from him.

His stare turned hard. "I will finish what I started with the Oracion Seis. I will find Cubellios. And I will keep you with me." He growled the words, making himself clear.

I nodded to let him know that I understood. "Okay, Erik."

He gave me one last kiss before walking away. As soon as I felt like he was far enough, I let my tears start to fall… I just felt so helpless. And I liked it much better when we were both surrounded by Magic Sealing Stone… at least then, I wasn't so exposed to him.

* * *

_Later, back at Fairy Tail guild hall…_

"Alright! We need to kick the Oracion Seis' asses and save Avari!" Natsu yelled, pounding his fist into his palm.

"No. We need to come up with a plan." Gray said coldly, obviously irritated.

Natsu growled. "What's sitting around and thinking gonna do?!"

"Well what's running around without a plan gonna do?!" Gray shot back.

And then the two were brawling… and somehow Gray's shirt had "fallen off."

Erza and the others ignored them, musing about what they should do… and how it would be helpful if more of the guild members were around… And then the doors slammed open.

"Yo, we're back!" Bickslow shouted cheerily.

"The Thunder God Tribe is back from a job." Freed nodded along.

"And it was easy, as always!" Evergreen waved her fan with a cocky smile.

They gave everyone a chance to observe their awesomeness before speaking again.

"Now where's my baby sister?!" Evergreen shouted, looking around the guild hall.

"She wasn't at home, so she must be here." Freed also looked around.

Bickslow used his hands as if they were binoculars. "Little Avi! I'm back now! So we can cuddle!"

Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at the trio nervously. Some even shifted uncomfortably and avoided eye contact.

"Actually…" Erza was the one to step forward. "We need to talk about that."

The Thunder God Tribe stopped what they were doing to stare at her suspiciously.

"What happened to my sister?" Evergreen spoke through gritted teeth.

Erza sighed. "The Oracion Seis have escaped and, though we're not sure why, they've taken Avari."

Evergreen's fan snapped in her hand as her fists clenched at her sides. "Are you trying to tell me that my baby sister… has been _kidnapped_?!"

Erza nodded. "Unfortunately, yes."

And then it was like all of hell had erupted.

It took a while for everyone to calm down, because Bickslow and Freed had gotten so upset as well. Not to mention everyone else that had gotten involved as they tried to help explain the situation. Eventually, they had managed to explain all of the details. But the Thunder God Tribe was anything but happy. Not to say that anyone else was happy, either.

"So there's an Infinity Clock that can end the world? And it, as well as our sweet little Avari, has been taken by an escaped dark guild? You guys sure let things go to hell in the short time that we were gone…" Bickslow complained.

"We never should have left my poor baby sister!" Evergreen whined dramatically. "I can't trust any of you to look after her the way that we can!"

There were several people who gritted their teeth at her comment. But before anyone could say anything, Freed went on to explain how he had overheard information that a man with a scythe and a man with incredible speed had destroyed all of the churches in Shirotsume. Not long after he was finished, Kinana came stumbling down the stairs, seemingly in a haze, and started chipping away at the wall… Then there was a bunch of rambling about Will Neville before Natsu lost his temper and he and Gray started fighting again. It was lucky that they did, because they woke Cana up, and she used her cards to assign teams to find the Oracion Seis.

* * *

**Next time, Avari ends up spending some time with one of the members of the Oracion Seis. Who do you think that it will be?**

* * *

**icecreamnova, he's just her friend ;) thanks for reviewing!**

**P.S. Ellie, yep, trust is definitely an issue. And Fairy Tail was very upset! Thanks for the review!**

**Satoberi, yeah, it's kinda cute, huh? And they sure are! :) thanks for the review!**


	13. Chapter 13: Locked Up

**5 points to Satoberi and P.S. Ellie!**

* * *

Chapter 13: Locked Up

* * *

_Erik had left me locked in his room, like he usually did when he had to leave the Oracion Seis' hidden base of operations… which, I still wasn't sure where it was. All I knew was that with the Magic Sealing Handcuffs, escape was pretty much impossible. Sure, I could throw a decent punch or kick… but against a reinforced door, my physical abilities were useless. And even if I did somehow make it out of the locked room, I'd still have to get past any of the other members that were still here… and they still had their magic, which put me at a severe disadvantage. And if Erik found out that I was even thinking of escape… well… I shuddered at the thought._

_When I had first met him, he had been so kind… so confident and protective. And he still was… he was just… a whole lot more than that, now. I groaned, tossing my head down onto the desk. My stomach grumbled, and I wondered who would be coming to feed me. And in a major form of coincidence, the door swung open. I looked up to see Macbeth, one hand in his pocket and the other still holding the key from unlocking the door. I managed to smile when I saw him. He was one of the very few here whose company that I actually enjoyed._

_"__Well don't just sit there." He gave a big yawn before continuing. "Come on."_

_My small smile turned into a big grin as I got up to follow him out of the door. He used a slow pace until I had caught up, and then sped to his usual pace when I was by his side. He escorted me to the dining room where Racer and Angel were already eating._

_"__Ah, so you've let Cobra's pet out to play." Angel taunted with a smirk._

_I rolled my eyes. I really hated her…_

_"__Leave her alone." Midnight threatened immediately, his voice low but scary nonetheless._

_She immediately quieted down, but not before throwing a sneering look my way._

_I chose to ignore her, sitting down with Midnight to enjoy my meal. Racer broke the tension by starting a casual conversation with me. I managed to smile as I spoke to him, though it was difficult. When we were finished eating, Midnight pulled me away and into the library. He knew that I loved it in here… it made me feel like I could escape everything for a little while. _

_He made himself comfortable on the couch while I chose a book. After I had sat down beside him, he rested his head in my lap. I absentmindedly began to run my fingers through his hair while I read. His eyes were closed, but I knew that he wasn't sleeping yet._

_"__Read to me…" He mumbled as he nestled closer into me._

_I smiled down at him, still stroking his hair as I began to read out loud. This was something that we usually did when Erik was away… mostly because Erik kept me practically tied to him when he was here. And when he wasn't keeping me leashed to his side, he was locking me in his room. So the only freedom I got was when he was gone… and Macbeth would let me out and spend some time with me._

_After several hours of reading, Macbeth decided that he was tired of the library. He let me pick a new book and then led me out of the room. We stopped at the kitchen to grab some snacks before going to his room. We sat down on his bed, getting settled in, before I prepared to read some more. This time, he pulled me into his arms so that he could cuddle up against me… and I read aloud until we both drifted off to sleep._

* * *

_"__Avari!" The sound of my name woke me from my slumber. "Dammit. Avari!" It was Erik. And he was clearly unhappy._

_I was going to sit up, but Macbeth was still holding me in his arms, seemingly asleep. I sighed. I hadn't expected him to be back this soon… He was going to be angry when he realized that I had spent the night with Macbeth._

_"__Don't worry. I'll deal with him." Macbeth muttered, snuggling into my side._

_I frowned. Macbeth "dealing" with Erik would not end well…_

_"__Avari! I know that you're here somewhere! I can smell you!" Erik's voice was closer now._

_"__Macbeth, I need to go to him before he gets angrier…" I mumbled, hoping that the situation wouldn't get any worse._

_He finally turned to look at me, an unhappy frown on his face. "I don't like the way he treats you."_

_I looked away, not wanting to see his eyes. "Well it can't really be helped… I'm his prisoner, remember?"_

_"__I could talk to my father…"_

_I shook my head, dissuading him from continuing. "Anything you do will just make it worse."_

_His frown deepened until it was nearly a scowl._

_"__Avari!" It sounded like Erik was just outside of the door._

_I forced a smile as I looked at Macbeth. "Don't worry. I can handle him."_

_With a reluctant sigh, Macbeth let me go. I opened the door to see Erik waiting for me across the hall, glaring menacingly. As soon as I had shut Macbeth's door behind me, Erik grabbed me by my hair, dragging me away, back to his room. _

_He threw me in, slamming the door and locking it. "Just what the hell is wrong with you?!" He growled out._

_I stood up to face him. "Erik, please… It was an accident. We were ju-" Before I could finish my explanation, he had closed the distance and backhanded me, sending me back to the floor._

_"__Do you think I don't know what you were doing?! Dammit, Avari! You fucking smell like him!"_

_I rubbed my sore cheek, tasting blood in my mouth._

_"__I should have known… with the way you two are always hanging out together…" He spoke through clenched teeth, his hands balling into fists at his sides._

_I looked up at him, but didn't bother standing this time. "Nothing like that happened. We were reading and accidentally fell asleep."_

_He grabbed me up by my throat and shoved me against the wall. "You know I hate it when you fucking lie to me, Avari."_

_I gasped for breath, grabbing at the rough hold he had around my neck. "I've never lied to you, Erik…" I struggled to get the words out through my choking._

_He growled, but his grip loosened._

_I took a big gulp of air, my lungs greedily sucking it in. Then I made eye contact with him, pleading with my eyes. "I love you, Erik. Midnight and I are just friends… But you… you're my everything."_

_He let go of my neck completely, then gripped onto my hips, forcing me higher up the wall so that my eyes were level with his. "If I'm your 'everything' then why were you even talking to him in the first place?"_

_"__Well someone had to let me out of here so that I could eat, Erik…" I pointed out the obvious. "And… I'd like to have friends, you know… like you have Cubellios."_

_He let out an irritated huff. "Cubellios is different."_

_"__I know… I just wanted someone to talk to… I get lonely sometimes." I reached up my hand to caress his face. "But you're the one I love, Erik."_

_"__I'm tired of always worrying about you running off on me…" He grumbled._

_I pouted. He knew that I didn't approve of the sick, twisted plans of the Oracion Seis… but I nearly had him completely calmed down… so I didn't want to talk about that right now. "I don't want to escape from you… just from everything else…"_

_He scowled at me. "Well that's too bad." _

_I restrained a sigh of relief. It seemed like I had avoided another argument about the insanity of his guild._

_He leaned down and bit my neck, harshly. "I want you all to myself, Avi…" He pulled the strap of my dress to the side so that he could bite my shoulder. "I want all of your attention… I want all of your love…" He ripped my dress and pushed it aside so that he could bite my breast. "I want all of you, Avi."_

_I bit my lip. Violent sex was a hell of a lot better than a violent beating… "I'm all yours, Erik."_

_He let out a throaty growl before ripping my underwear, throwing it to the side before pulling my legs around him and shoving himself inside of me. I cried out, overwhelmed by the feeling of him stretching me from the inside. He wasted no time as he started to pound in and out of me, using the wall to hold me up as he groped and abused my body._

_I clung onto him, my hands fisting in his hair and clothes. "Erik!" I yelped breathlessly, adjusting to his harsh treatments._

_I bit down on his neck, earning a roiled growl as he quickened his pace. I tore through his shirt, digging my nails into his back as I moaned his name. I cried out when I came, pulling on his hair and leaving another bite mark on his shoulder. _

_"__I fucking love you, Avi…" He grunted out, experiencing his own climax._

_And then he bent me over the dresser so that he could fuck me from behind. I gripped onto the edge, watching him in the mirror as he held onto my hips and thrust himself in and out of me. He looked so fucking sexy… the way his strong body had complete control of mine… When I started moving my hips to meet him, he moved his hands… one to pull at my hair and the other to grab and smack my ass. The repeated stinging sensations sparked pain with the pleasure, and I screamed in bliss, coming again._

_He dragged me over to the bed by my hair, tossing me onto it and then crawling on top of me. He pulled my legs up onto his shoulders and plunged into me all over again. His hot mouth latched onto my breast and I bit my lip to keep from screaming when his teeth clamped down hard enough to draw blood. He continued to bite as he pumped himself in and out of me. And I held onto his shoulders, my nails dragging down his arms as my back arched in pleasure._

_"__Oh, fuck! Erik!" I screamed as I came, yet again._

_And he followed after me, his body tensing as he rode through our orgasms. "That's right, Avi! Scream for me."_

_By the time he was finished, we collapsed in a bloodied heap on his bed, exhausted by all of the different ways that he had fucked me. He left me on my back so that he could lay his head on my chest. I managed to lift my arms so that I could caress his skin with my fingertips. In spite everything, I still loved him… I just wished that he wouldn't see the world so psychotically…_

* * *

I was lying back on the bed, missing Erik… missing my guild… missing my sister… and just wishing that I could get out of this stupid room. I sighed… why did Erik always have to lock me up? And then, coincidentally, the door swung open, and I looked up to see Macbeth with the key in his hand. He smiled at me when my eyes met his. Instead of feeling relieved or happy, like I used to when he would do this, I almost felt afraid… this wasn't the Macbeth that I used to know… and I couldn't trust him.

"Come on." He said smoothly, gesturing for me to follow him.

It wasn't as if I had much of a choice, being a prisoner and unable to use magic… so I pulled myself up off the bed and followed after him, wondering what exactly I had gotten myself into this time…

* * *

**So why do you think Macbeth let Avari out of the room?**

* * *

**Satoberi, yeah, it's like she can't get over him**

**icecreamnova, lol, it seems that way, huh? It's kinda like she never really got over Cobra… thanks for reviewing! :)**

**P.S. Ellie, yep, she pretty much is**


	14. Chapter 14: Cara

**5 points to P.S. Ellie and Satoberi! :)**

* * *

Chapter 14: Cara

* * *

"I bet you're starving." Macbeth commented as he led me through some various halls.

He led us into a dining area where two covered plates were set out on a small table. Macbeth pulled a chair out for me and I sat down. He took the seat across from me as he removed the covers, revealing two luxurious looking meals.

"Eat up." He smiled, and I caught a glimpse of the warm friend that I used to know.

I managed to smile back. "Thank you."

We both ate in silence, just enjoying each other's company as we used to. I still felt very uncomfortable, but I tried to ignore the eerie feeling.

"Unfortunately there isn't a library here… but I've managed to obtain some books that I thought you might like." He tilted his head, waiting to see how I would react.

I was touched by his efforts… he had thought enough to be concerned about me and to actually find and bring along books so that I would be happy. I was finally able to give him a genuine smile. "Wow, Macbeth… you didn't have to do that. Thank you."

He smiled right back at me. "I wanted you to be happy, Avi."

My uneasiness finally began to fade away. We finished eating and he pulled me up to lead me away again. I followed him without any complaint. It felt like everything else was just some sort of bad dream… like maybe Macbeth really wasn't some sort of crazy dark guild leader and that he wasn't trying to destroy the world. At the very least, I wanted to pretend like he wasn't… at least for right now.

He led me into a lavish looking bedroom, and from the scent of it I knew that it was his. He pulled a bag from the closet and set it on the bed. "Pick one out." He almost sounded excited as he opened the bag to reveal several books.

I sat down on the bed and started to sift through the various books. My heart warmed when I realized he had remembered all of my favorites. I picked one that he used to love for me to read and showed it to him. "How 'bout this one?"

He grinned happily as he sat next to me, pulling me into his arms and laying us both back onto the bed. "Read it out loud."

I got comfortable in his embrace and started reading, ignoring all of the contradicting feelings that were raging in the back of my mind.

* * *

A knock on the door roused me from the dreamless sleep that I had fallen into. I cracked my eyes and glared at the door.

"What do you want?" Macbeth grumbled from beneath me.

"Brain II, sir… one of the prisoners is asking to speak to you." A voice answered from the other side of the door.

Macbeth sighed. "Wait for me there."

I took my queue and sat up, allowing him to get up as well.

"I'm not going to lock you up, Avari." He mumbled as I watched him stand up and walk toward the door. "You're free to roam around as you please."

My gaze fell from him down to the Magic Sealing Cuff that still clamped around my wrist. "But I'm still a prisoner…"

He sighed again as he ran a hand through his hair. "I am sorry, Avari… but I still can't trust you not to run away… or to use your magic to disrupt my plans…" He came back over to me and placed his hand on my head. "Though I wish that I could…"

"Macbeth…" I restrained the dejected groan that threatened to escape from me. "Why can't we just live our lives? Why do you have to destroy everything?"

He stood back to his full height, an expression that I didn't know falling over his face. "I'll talk to you later, Avari." And without another word, he walked out of the room.

I buried my face into my hands, a headache started to form from the overwhelming thoughts that I had been ignoring. Why did everything have to be so fucked up?

I spent some time just trying to come to terms with my circumstances before leaving Macbeth's room. I had to believe that my guild would be able to stop the madness of the Reborn Oracion Seis… because I sure as hell couldn't. I was way too close to this situation and everyone involved. If I were completely honest… then I would admit that I still loved Erik. He had always held a special place in my heart. And I loved Macbeth, too. He was my friend. I knew that they were both so much more than the dark, destructive mages that they seemed to be… deep down, they were both really good men.

* * *

I found myself wandering the halls, just following traces of Macbeth's scent. Erik's scent was only detectable in his room… so I figured that he didn't really spend much time here. I came across a dark stairway, and curiosity drove me down the stone steps. There were torches lit along the walls, providing very little light, but I realized that I had discovered dungeons of some sort. Most of them were empty, but I caught the scent of something strange… and yet familiar. I followed the smell and saw a glimpse of dark red fur. I got closer so that I could look through the bars, and gorgeous, bright blue eyes peered back at me.

"Hello?" I called out curiously.

The eyes gave me a skeptical look before a small creature came out from its hiding place. An Exceed… She had dark red fur and a cream colored belly. The same cream decorated her face and chin. Black markings outlined her eyes, eyebrows, forehead, cheeks, and mouth. Her ears were long and pointed with tufts of black wisps on the ends. Her tail was also long and slightly fluffier than the rest of her. She wore a simple, black halter top with black shorts.

I smiled at her as she approached the bars to study me. "Hey there… what's an Exceed doing in a place like this?"

She shrugged at me, tilting her head to the side as her sharp blue eyes scrutinized my face. "Wrong place, wrong time…" Her voice was smooth and had a slight purr to it.

I sat down on the concrete outside of her cell, close to the bars. "Who put you in here?"

"Some mages that attacked the church that I was staying in." She answered with another shrug. She crossed her arms over her chest and inspected her sharp, black nails. "I fought them, but… I was outnumbered and they had some magic that I was unfamiliar with."

She must have been talking about the Reborn Oracion Seis… but why would they keep her as a prisoner?

"You don't have the same aura as the rest of them… who are you?" She asked me, her bright blue eyes snapping back up and narrowing in on my face.

"My name is Avari. I'm… sorta being held as a prisoner here, too." I sighed as I held up my cuffed wrist for her to see.

She nodded slowly. "My name is Cara."

I stayed there for a long time, just talking to her. I figured out that it had been Racer and Angel that had attacked the church that she was at… She had held her own against Racer, but when Angel had stepped in, she had been overwhelmed. She had woken up in the cell and wasn't sure why they had brought her back here… but she hadn't bothered to ask. In fact, she hadn't spoken to anyone until now.

Apparently, she could sense a person's aura… and that was why she had decided to speak to me. She said that I had a troubled aura, but that she could tell that I was loyal and trustworthy. She asked about my magic… so I told her about Krystallos. I even ended up telling her a little about as to why I was being held here. She was easy to talk to.

She had been one of the Exceeds to come here from Edolas. She was in the middle of telling me about how she had been adjusting to Earthland when she suddenly stopped midsentence, her entire body growing rigid. Her ears twitched and her eyes darted to look down the hall. I followed her gaze to see Macbeth approaching. I was about to smile at him, until I noticed the strange man walking beside him.

"Avari… what are you doing down here?" He asked, coming to a stop beside me.

I was still sitting on the floor, so I had to tilt my head back to look up at him. "I'm talking to Cara." I answered simply.

He tore his gaze away from me to look over at the Exceed behind the bars. "Cara?"

I nodded my head. "She was at one of the churches that you had Racer and Angel attack…" I took his hand to get his attention back on me. "Why is she locked up here?"

He avoided eye contact, looking at where I was holding onto his hand, instead. "She seemed valuable."

I frowned unhappily, using my grip on his hand to pull myself up. "Well can you let her out?"

He helped me to my feet and finally looked at me in the eye. "Why?"

I sighed. "Well… because she's my friend."

He seemed to get lost into thought for a while. And then he looked at the man that was still standing behind him. "Let her out."

The strange man nodded without a word and stepped up to unlock Cara's cell.

I actually hugged Macbeth as she stepped out from behind the bars. "Thank you!"

He didn't say anything. He just nodded. But I could see the slight smile on his face.

* * *

I took Cara back to Erik's room. She was still technically a prisoner, and Macbeth made that very clear, but now she was allowed to stay with me. She wasn't allowed to roam around alone or ever be without supervision… and Macbeth said that if she were ever caught breaking these rules that he would lock her back up in the cell. Of course he wouldn't risk her ruining his maniacal plans… but I was happy that he had at least allowed her to keep me company.

"That dark mage… his aura changes when he's around you." Cara commented when we were finally alone.

"You mean Macbeth?" I asked her, just to be sure.

She nodded. "He's usually very dark and malevolent. But when he's around you, he seems more… placated. He even almost seems amiable. It's a drastic change, and he tries not to show it." She was tapping a dark claw against her chin as she explained, clearly still trying to understand it herself.

I tilted my head as I listened. If Macbeth actually changed when I was around… then that meant that there was still hope for him… and maybe for Erik, too… There wasn't much that I wouldn't give to have Macbeth and Erik be the men that I knew that they could be… and to have Erik be the man that I fell in love with. I sighed, falling back onto the bed as I tried not to let myself get lost in my wishful thinking.

* * *

**In the next chapter, Erik comes back… how do you think he'll react to Cara?**

* * *

**icecreamnova, lol, Laxus will come back eventually ;)**

**P.S. Ellie, yep… it was pretty much just spending time together like they used to :)**

**Satoberi, he did miss her :) and they were good friends! And it seems like they still are :)**


	15. Chapter 15: Feel Better

**5 points to P.S. Ellie! 3 points to Satoberi and barcoded93! :D**

* * *

Chapter 15: Feel Better

* * *

Cara and I had been spending our nights in Macbeth's room. The three of us would curl up on his bed while I read out loud until we all fell asleep. It was the only chance that I got to see him, really… he had been so busy with whatever the hell he had planned that I had barely seen him these past couple of days. Luckily, I had Cara to keep me company… but I still missed Macbeth. And I missed Erik, too… I missed him so much that it scared me. And I missed my guild. I wondered how things were going with Fairy Tail…

I had spent a lot of time telling Cara about all of my friends from Fairy Tail, and she had listened excitedly. She loved hearing the stories about the Thunder God Tribe. And she was looking forward to meeting everyone… especially Happy and Carla. Apparently, she already knew Pantherlily… though I guessed that made sense, since they were both from Edolas.

Right now, we were playing poker. I giggled as I watched the frown on Cara's face. I had been teaching her to play and she had lost yet another round. We were playing with crackers, cheese cubes, and pepperoni slices from the kitchen raid that we had gone on earlier… and Cara was very upset about losing a stack of her beloved pepperoni. I started laughing harder when her frown changed to a forlorn expression as I scooped up my winnings and swept them over to my side of the table.

"It simply isn't fair." She whined. "You should take it easier on me since I'm still new at this."

I continued to laugh as I answered her. "We played without stakes for the first ten rounds while you were learning!"

She pursed her lips at me. "I think it's disconcerting how much of an expert you are at 'bluffing.' I mean, anyone who can deceive another person so easily must not be a very good person at all."

I rolled my eyes. "You're just being a sore loser." And then I smiled. "Besides, I've been told that I'm terrible at bluffing." A devilish grin and handsome face came to mind. "Laxus always beats me because he says I'm no good at it… and that I'm fooled too easily."

"Laxus? Who's that?" She tilted her head curiously.

I felt my smile widen. "He's an amazing man… a Lightning Dragon Slayer… and a very good friend of mine."

Her black lips tilted up in a smirk. "You speak fondly of him… your aura even changes."

"What? My aura changes?"

She let out a light laugh as she nodded. "I can tell that you have strong feelings for him and that he's very close to you. And that he can make you happy in ways that no one else can."

I tilted my head, considering what she had said. Laxus had always been an important person in my life… and she was right. He had a way of making me happy. And making me forget about everything that bothered me…

"Who's winning?" Macbeth's smooth voice entered the room.

I lifted my face and aimed a grin his way. "I am."

"That's because she lies to win." Cara stated matter-of-factly.

I glared at her. "I told you, it's called bluffing."

Macbeth chuckled as he sat down beside me.

"Wanna play?" I asked him hopefully.

He seemed to think for a moment… "Sure." He muttered quietly.

I beamed at him as I dealt him in. I split my winnings with him so that he'd have something to bet with.

"You're playing with snacks?" He lifted a brow as he held up a slice of pepperoni.

I shrugged. "Why not?" I took the pepperoni from him and popped it into my mouth, grinning after I swallowed it down.

"Noooo!" Cara screeched. "Not the pepperoni!"

Macbeth turned a wide-eyed gaze in her direction, surprised at her outburst.

I just burst into laughter. "Stop being so dramatic!"

She threw her head down onto the table, whining pathetically as she mumbled about the loss of her precious pepperonis.

* * *

"I don't understand why we're staying in here." Cara whined as I sat down on Erik's bed.

"Because…" I sighed, preparing to explain it to her again. "Macbeth said that Erik is going to be back tomorrow… and if he gets back to find me in Macbeth's room, he'll be angry."

Cara rolled her eyes. "Well anyone who gets angry at you for spending time with a friend is clearly too possessive."

I collapsed back onto the bed. "You're preaching to the choir."

She hopped up beside me, curling into my side and resting her head on my hip. "So then why do you tolerate his behavior?"

I chewed on my lip. "Are you forgetting that I don't have a choice? We're both prisoners here."

"But Macbeth is nice. He co-"

I interrupted her, not wanting to have to deal with all of this. "No. He couldn't do anything." I sighed, rubbing the bridge of my nose. "By the rules of the Oracion Seis, or, Reborn Oracion Seis, I belong to Erik." I had heard the words so many times before… I nearly forgot to throw in the "reborn" or whatever. "I'm his. There's nothing I can do about it. And there isn't anything that anyone else can do about it, either." My guild came to mind… they could get me out of here. They could save me… because I was too fucking weak to save my own damn self. Ugh. Krystallos would be so disappointed in me.

"Fine." Cara, probably reading my aura, decided not to press the matter further.

With a deep breath, I prepared to explain the rules. "When Erik gets back, things are going to change…" I felt exhausted already. "You can only call him Cobra. And call Macbeth Brain II, unless we're alone with him. If you slip up, they'll get mad."

She nodded in understanding, and I was grateful that I didn't have to stress the importance… she just understood.

"If Cobra gets angry, don't ever try to argue. And never object to him or Brain II. They're different when they're not alone. Which… I'm sure that you'll sense that." Her aura sensing really did come in handy.

"Okay… I promise to behave." She nodded again.

I felt a little more relieved having her with me. I just hoped that Erik would be in a good mood…

* * *

Cara and I had fallen asleep in his bed, and we woke up to the door slamming open.

"What the hell is that smell?!" He grumbled irritably.

I opened my eyes and sat up on the bed, seeing him approaching quickly. I stood up and tucked Cara behind me, since she had also woken up and stood on the bed. "It's Cara. She's an Exceed."

He growled a bit under his breath. "I don't care what she is. What the hell is she doing in my room?"

"She's my friend, Erik." His eyes flashed dangerously, and I quickly corrected myself. "Cobra… she's been keeping me company."

He groaned. "Get her the fuck out of here." He grabbed my arm to pull me aside, his eyes set on her, but I wouldn't move. When he realized that I was protecting her, he turned his attention back on me. "Avari…" He growled my name, low and threateningly. "I've had a long, annoying ass trip… Now if you don't get the fuck out of my way I'm gonna beat you until you're screaming for mercy."

I had never screamed for mercy… not in all of the beatings that he'd ever given me. "That's a long shot, Cobra." I glared at him defiantly.

I was still cuffed with a locked bracelet of Magic Sealing Stone, but he was unrestrained… so I knew damn well that I wouldn't be able to take him in a fight. But what's more, I knew that with his magic he could hear my thoughts… and I wasn't backing down. We stared at each other for what felt like forever, his purple eyes blazing. I imagined that my silver eyes were just as heated. When his hands balled into fists at his side, Cara tugged on my nightgown, and I realized that it would get ugly if I didn't do anything soon…

"Just let me take her to Brain II…" I whispered, so that he would know that I was asking.

He narrowed his eyes. "Just kick her out into the fucking hallway."

"She's not allowed to be without supervision." I sighed. "Brain II can watch her for me… please."

"Fine." He growled, then stalked off into the washroom. "Just hurry the fuck up!"

Without another word I scooped Cara up and rushed out of the room. I had to hurry… He would expect me to be back by the time he was finished getting ready for bed. I practically ran to Macbeth's room. And I let myself in without even knocking. He was in there, walking out of the washroom to get into bed himself. He gave me a questioning look, but when he saw Cara in my arms, he seemed to understand.

"Cobra didn't approve of your new friend?" He mumbled with his brow lifted.

I sighed, letting Cara jump out of my arms and onto Macbeth's bed. "Not at all."

Macbeth shrugged, watching as Cara crossed her arms, huffing irritably.

"Would you mind keeping an eye on her for me?" I asked hopefully.

He turned his attention back to me. "Of course not."

I nodded gratefully, giving him a quick hug before turning to leave. "Thank you."

"Wait!" Cara called out just before I opened the door. "You're not going back to him, are you?"

I groaned as I looked at her over my shoulder. "Of course I am. And if I don't hurry he's going to get angrier."

"Angrier?" Macbeth asked curiously.

Cara started to explain. "He's livid. For no good reason! He threatened to beat her! And I believe he's going to."

Now Macbeth was catching my arm, keeping me from leaving. "You can stay here. I'll deal with him."

I let out an exasperated sigh. "You know the rules just as well as I do… better, even. I'll be fine. I can handle him."

Macbeth shook his head at me. "I make the rules now. I'm not sending you back to him to get beaten."

"That's just going to make it worse. And the longer that I spend away from him the worse it will get. I can calm him down if I hurry back." I looked Macbeth in the eyes, trying to get my point across. "I'll be okay… really."

With a sigh, he nodded. Then he pulled me into a hug before letting me go.

* * *

I entered Erik's room to see him coming out of the washroom, dressed in just a towel and still damp from the shower he had taken. I tried not get too distracted by his bare torso… tanned skin stretched over tight muscles… droplets of water still clinging to him before dripping slowly down…

"What the fuck took you so long?" He grumbled, using another towel to dry his gravity defiant hair.

"Well…" I started, swaying over to take the towel and dry his hair for him. "I had to explain to Brain II why you didn't like the Exceed that he had given me to keep me company."

Erik rolled his eyes, placing his hands on my hips to pull me closer. "Shut the hell up."

"You said you had a long trip…" I whispered soothingly, taking my time and massaging his scalp. "Is there anything that I can do to make you feel better?"

He leaned into my touch, his body relaxing. "I can't hear her voice…" He was so quiet that I barely managed to hear him, but I could tell that he was upset. "I still can't hear her…"

I gathered that he was talking about Cubellios. I wished that there was something that I could do… "I'm sorry, Erik…" I gently kissed his neck, holding the towel in one hand while running my fingers down his shoulders.

He grunted, his arms tightening around me. "I missed you…" He grumbled into my hair.

If I were completely honest, then I would admit that… "I missed you, too."

His lips captured mine in a heated kiss. I dropped the towel onto the floor and wrapped my arms around him, tracing the muscles in his back… damn, I loved the way his skin felt. He grabbed my legs, wrapping them around his waist as he lifted me into the air. And then we were falling onto the bed with him on top of me. He ground his hips into mine, letting me feel his hard, erect dick.

"Make me feel better, Avi." He growled against my mouth.

I moaned out when he bit down onto my neck. I grasped onto the towel that he was still wearing and jerked it off of him, flinging it onto the floor. "I'll make you feel better, Erik." I whispered back, arching my body against his as I wrapped my fingers around his long, thick manhood.

He groaned, pumping into my hand as he ripped my nightgown to shreds. He started to bite and suck at my breasts as he ripped my underwear away, his fingers immediately plunging into my entrance. I tilted my head back and moaned, grabbing him more firmly and speeding up my pace. But that wasn't enough for him. With a ferocious growl, he grabbed my wrists and held them down by my head, shoving his dick into my warmth with brutal force. I screamed out, arching my back as he stretched me from the inside.

"Erik!"

His pounding was hard and ruthless. His body took control of mine as he grunted with every thrust. I let him have his way. And I enjoyed it. I did wish that I could hold him… or at least grab onto something… anything… but my wrists were still being held tightly in his bruising grasp. My body shook in pleasure and I screamed every time he shoved himself into me, hitting my spot and going in deep. I managed to arch against him, pressing my body against his. When the tightening pressure in my core finally snapped, giving me a mind blowing orgasm, he kept on going. He rode through it until it built again and again, giving me wave after wave of mind numbing ecstasy. He fucked me senseless.

"I fucking love you, Avi!" He growled out as he finally neared his end.

I struggled to answer him through my breathless screams and moans. "Oh, Erik! I love you too!"

He groaned as he plowed into me for a final ride, emptying his hot seed inside of me. He slowed to a stop before his body collapsed onto mine. He released his grip on my wrists, so I wrapped my arms around him, soothingly stroking my fingers through his hair and across his back. He sighed, his breath fanning across my bare chest.

"I don't know what I'd do without you, Avi…" He mumbled, softly kissing my collarbone.

I didn't know what to say… So I just held him as we both fell asleep.

* * *

**icecreamnova, there's always hope ;)**

**Satoberi, yay, she does! But Erik's not too thrilled about it… oh, darn…**

**PepperMintoReo, I'm so glad that you're enjoying it! Thank you so much for your review :)**

**P.S. Ellie, yep, right on the mark! Lol**

**barcoded93, he wasn't happy about her… but at least he didn't try to kill her! :) thank you for reviewing!**


	16. Chapter 16: Wanting Won't Change a Thing

**5 points to everyone that reviewed since I forgot to put a question last time! Hehe… that's icecreamnova, P.S. Ellie, Satoberi, KoreanMusicFan, and Sunnymuffins! :)**

* * *

Chapter 16: Wanting Won't Change a Thing

* * *

Erik would not let me get even a few inches from his side before he was huffing and pulling me back to him. Not that I minded all that much… but it was still a bit unnerving. Instead of locking me in his room, he dragged me to the kitchen with him, which was certainly a preferable situation. I was preparing food for the two of us when Angel walked in.

"Aww… how cute. Cobra's pet is making him breakfast." Her voice was taunting, as usual.

Cobra was standing next to me, leaning against the counter with his arms crossed and eyes closed. He didn't move as he responded to her. "Shut your whore mouth, Angel."

She scoffed, rolling her eyes before glaring at me. "You know… I met two very handsome men the other day, but all they wanted to talk about was you…" She tilted her head, her eyes narrowed as she looked me up and down. "Frankly, I don't see what all the fuss is about… you're nothing special."

Cobra growled under his breath in warning.

It wasn't her insult that bothered me. I was used to her bad attitude. What caught my attention was the two men that she mentioned. "Who were the men?" I ventured to ask.

"Oh… just some Fairy Tail guys…" She said nonchalantly, turning away as she lost interest, realizing that I wasn't at all bothered by her.

Cobra cracked open his eye to look at me. "You're mine. Stop fucking worrying about Fairy Tail." He whispered, though his voice was still commanding.

Angel, realizing that she had struck a nerve, decided to continue. "They were awfully worried about you though… the green haired one and the really cute ice-maker… they demanded to know if you were alright, wouldn't even talk about anything else…" She hummed in amusement. "Oh, and the cute one couldn't keep his clothes on when he asked about you."

Gray and Freed… she had fought them. I was trying not to let my thoughts get too out of control, knowing that Cobra could hear them. But I wanted to know more. I was about to ask what happened when Cobra stood up from the counter.

"Shut the fuck up… before I make you." He threatened, obviously unhappy with the conversation.

Angel just giggled. "Aww, but Cobra… your pet is only curious. You should tell her about the fight that _you_ had…"

So he had fought members of Fairy Tail, too? Dammit. I wanted more information. And there was no way that I was going to get it with Angel in the room. I arranged the food that I had prepared onto plates and gently nudged Cobra, trying to get his attention solely on me. "Come on… let's go find a quiet place to eat."

With a final huff, Cobra wrapped his arm around me and led me away.

* * *

We ended up going back to his room to eat our breakfast. I had calmed him down from the upset that Angel had caused. And now I wanted to see if I could ask him about his fight without upsetting him again. I set our empty plates aside and sat behind him on the bed, massaging his shoulders. He sighed and rolled his head, enjoying the feeling.

"So… you had to fight while you were away?" I tried to start off subtly.

He snorted. "Of course I had to fucking fight. What did you think I was doing?"

I shrugged, working at the knots in his back. "I don't know… it's not like anyone tells me anything."

He didn't say anything.

I tugged off his shirt before gently pushing him to lie down on his stomach, then straddled his hips so that I could access more of his back. "Who did you fight?"

He growled lowly. "Why the fuck does it matter?"

I was sure to keep massaging his back, knowing that it would distract him and make him much more compliant. "I'm only curious, Erik… is it so bad to be interested in your life?"

He huffed, turning his head on the pillow. "Are you interested in my life? Or hearing about Fairy Tail?"

"They both interest me." I answered honestly, because he would know if I was lying.

He closed his eye and let out another huff. "I fought your annoying ass sister… and the red headed bitch that also thinks she's your sister."

Evergreen and Erza… my heart clenched as I ached to see them. I leaned down to kiss his shoulder blade. "Erik… a person should get along with their lover's relatives. So you should attempt to get along with my sister."

"Your sister is a bitch that left you when you were a child." He grumbled. "And besides that, she's a fucking Fairy."

I wanted to argue that I was a Fairy, too… but that would get us nowhere. In fact, no amount of arguing would get me anywhere with him. So I just didn't say anything.

He decided to continue, though. "She fucking abandons you as a child and now she wants to act like she fucking cares… it's a bunch of bullshit."

I sighed, focusing on rubbing his back, hoping to soothe him. My sister was just a child then… she was trying to protect me. And she didn't know any better. That was her way of taking care of me… of making sure that I stayed safe from her magic. Of course, Erik had never understood that.

He managed to lift me enough to roll onto his back, his hands settled on my hips now, keeping me so that I was still straddling him. "You don't need anyone but me. You're mine. And I'll take care of you."

I smiled down at him, touched by the fact that he was actually being sweet. It reminded me of how he used to be… back when we first met… before the Oracion Seis…

"I can still be fucking sweet, ya know." He narrowed his eye up at me, having listened in on my thoughts.

I actually laughed, finding his offense on the matter humorous. "I know, Erik." I ran my hands along his firm, muscular chest and leaned down to press my lips to his. "I love you." I whispered softly.

He smirked at me, stroking his hands down my thighs. "I love you, too."

He flipped us so that he was on top, glaring down at me now. "Now who the fuck is this ice-maker that can't keep his clothes on?"

Uh-oh. "He's my friend." I answered simply.

His eye narrowed in suspicion. "When I found you, you were living with your sister and her stupid friends. But there was this one guy that came specifically to visit you…"

I nodded. "Yes, I was with my sister and our friends… and I had a friend visit." I was suddenly reminded of the strange feeling that I had before Erik had captured me. It must have been him watching me… for all of that time...

"The one named Bickslow… you spent a lot of time 'cuddling' that bastard… and the other one, Freed… you let that asshole sleep in your bed. I didn't really care because I listened to your thoughts, and you were only using them for comfort… but the one that visited… Gray was his name…" He growled under his breath. "That little shit kissed you… and you liked it." His hands tightened around my wrists in bruising grasps.

I grimaced at the pain of his grip. I wasn't sure that I liked this stronger magic of his. Him being able to listen in on my thoughts was not a good thing. "I wasn't thinking, Erik. I'm sorry."

"Oh, you were thinking…" He growled out. "You just weren't thinking about me."

I wanted him to calm down. I wanted him to be happy. "I'm thinking about you now." I murmured softly. I wanted to cry. And then I wanted to slap myself for being so weak and pitiful. I just wanted things to go back to the way that they had been… I wanted us to be happy again. I wanted all of this crazy, stupid, twisted, Oracion Seis shit to go away. I wanted Erik to be the charming, protective man that I had fallen in love with. But no matter how much I wanted it… how much I ached for it… nothing could change everything that had already happened.

"I'm not going to lose you again, Avari…" He growled out. "Not to that bastard… not to your sister… not to Fairy Tail… not to anyone... never again…"

"I'm sorry, Erik… because I really do love you…" I could feel the tears streaming down my face. "But you lost me a long time ago."

An outraged roar filled the air as he sent me flying across the room. I landed against the far wall, hitting so hard that my breath was knocked from me. My head hit the stone floor as I fell to the ground. I shakily got up to my hands and knees, only to be kicked in the gut and sent back to the floor.

"You think that just because things have changed… that you're not mine anymore?" He growled out, crouching down to look me in the eye. His deep, violet eye glared into my silver gaze. "You will always be mine."

I shook my head, not even caring what he would do. I couldn't bring myself to care about my fear anymore… "Erik… no amount of talking will ever make a thing true… no amount of wishing… no amount of wanting…" I struggled to sit up, leaning against the wall as I faced him. "We both need to accept things for what they are… you are a man who chose the evil goals of a dark guild over the wellbeing of the rest of the world. And I am a woman who chose my love for you over my own wellbeing." I reached out to him, placing my hand on his cheek… he seemed startled, scowling as he listened to what I was saying. "But I don't wanna be that woman anymore… I was raised by a dragon… not to be some weak, sniveling girl… I was raised to be strong, and to protect the people that I love. I'm a member of Fairy Tail. And I want to keep the world safe from the Oracion Seis and others that would do it harm… I want to be the mage that Krystallos raised me to be."

"You're so full of shit!" He shouted, moving to back hand me.

But for the first time… I blocked him. I lifted my arm and blocked his blow with my forearm. "I am not yours, Erik… accept that."

He roared angrily, standing up to kick me. "You _are_ mine!"

I rolled to the side, dodging his kick and landing on my feet.

He glared at me, a hot rage rolling off of him. "That nonsense about dragons… that shithole of a guild… it's all a bunch of bullshit!" He took a deep breath, as if he were trying to calm himself. "How can you say that you're not mine? How can you say that you love me and still say shit like that?" His hands were clenching at his sides. He was shaking with his anger. "I love you, Avi…" He spoke so lowly that I barely heard him.

I opened my mouth to answer him, but a knock sounded on the door before I could.

"What is it?!" Erik shouted, frustrated.

Macbeth's voice sounded from the other side of the door. "It's beginning…"

And something about those two words terrified me.

* * *

**What do you think Macbeth meant by "It's beginning" ?**

* * *

**icecreamnova, lol, well she's standing up for herself now ;)**

**P.S. Ellie, yeah, that's my bad, I forgot to put it… I didn't forget this time though! And I know… I think so too… *drools* lol**

**Satoberi, I know, I know! I forgot! I'll try not to let it happen again ;) And yesss, I think it would be a cute face too ;) And yeah, Avari and Erik really can be sweet sometimes…**

**KoreanMusicFan, Laxus will be back in the picture soon, don't worry**

**Sunnymuffins, thank you! And omg, I know! That's why there will definitely be more Laxus ;)**


	17. Chapter 17: The Real Nightmare

**5 points to Satoberi, Sunnymuffins, P.S. Ellie, and thatonegirlwhoyoudontknow!**

* * *

Chapter 17: The Beginning of the Real Nightmare

* * *

There was now a large, floating thing in the sky… and they were referring to it as the Infinity Castle. I had been pulled onto it with Erik, Macbeth, and Angel, but Cara was nowhere in sight. Though I was worried about her, there wasn't anything that I could do for either of us while I was still restrained by the Magic Sealing Cuff. I was sure that both Erik and Macbeth held a key for them, so I was trying to figure out how I was going to snag it without either of them noticing… and of course I had to be careful with my thoughts since Erik could read them… And then I was distracted when they pulled me into a large room to see Lucy restrained in a strange contraption… which I finally identified as the Infinity Clock.

"Lucy!" I gasped as I tried to run to her, but Erik held me back with a firm grip on my arm.

"The Real Nightmare has already begun." Macbeth spoke as he approached the steps that led up to Lucy.

"Avari!" Lucy called out when she saw me. "You're alright!"

I blinked, surprised that she was still worried about me when she was in a situation like this. "Yeah, but… what about you?"

"Well…" She looked kind of sheepish. "Natsu and I kind of got captured."

"Natsu is here, too?" I looked around, but he wasn't in the room. I did notice that Klodoa was already in the room… along with some strange woman. She seemed familiar, though, so I observed her further. I was surprised when I realized that she looked like Michelle. I looked at Macbeth, seeking answers. "What are you doing with Lucy?"

He turned, only slightly, to look back at me. "She will be a sacrifice for the Infinity Clock… in order to create the unending nightmare."

I shook my head, disbelieving. The chaos that they've been trying to create… they were going to sacrifice Lucy for it? "You can't do that!" I jerked against Erik's grip, making him growl under his breath as he tightened his grasp. "Why do you insist on creating chaos?! Why can't you just stop this?!"

"Silly little pet." Angel laughed out loud.

"You'll see, Avari…" Macbeth murmured. "This unending nightmare will shake the entire world. And we'll watch it all together."

I was about to argue further, but Erik jerked me over to the side of the room as Macbeth made his way up the steps. I glared up at him… only to see that he was already glaring down at me.

"What makes you think that you can just ignore me? That you can just think about leaving me like it's nothing?" He growled, low and deadly.

I tried not to wince at the bruising grip that he had on my arm. "It isn't nothing, Erik… you have to know that. You have to know that I love you. I just can't stand by while you and the Reborn Oracion Seis bring chaos to the world."

"I refuse to lose you again, Avi." He growled even more deeply. And then his grasp loosened, if only a little. And his voice softened to a whisper. "I already lost you once… and Cubellios, too. You fucking disappeared on me. I was lucky to get you back… and Cubellios is still missing." He leaned his forehead against mine, his grip on my arm still tight but no longer uncomfortable. His other hand settled onto my waist. "I can't be alone again. I love you, Avi. I can't lose you."

"Then stop this." I murmured, lifting my free hand to run my fingers over his face… through his hair. "Let's stop this nightmare. And let's leave here together." I stroked over his temple and ran my fingers through his soft, red hair. "We can find Cubellios. And we can be happy again."

His jaw clenched, and for a moment I was afraid that he would get angry. But then he relaxed and leaned into my touch. His eyes closed and he let out a heavy sigh. It seemed as if he was really considering it… as if he might actually, finally stop all of this madness and just go back to the way that things had used to be.

That was until Macbeth's voice cut in. "Racer has fallen."

Erik didn't move at first. He just tensed as he continued to lean his forehead against mine, eyes closed. I almost wanted to snap at Macbeth for interrupting. Damn Racer and his bad timing. Then again… I should probably feel somewhat worried for him.

"Cobra. Angel." When Macbeth called his name, Erik finally pulled away from me to look at him. "Stop them."

Erik nodded, but he took my hand. "Avari stays with me."

"That isn't necessary." Macbeth responded. "I can look after her."

Erik's posture changed to show that he wasn't wavering. "She stays with me."

Macbeth stared him down for a moment. And then he finally nodded in agreement. "Fine."

* * *

"What are we doing?" I questioned as Erik pulled me down the various hallways. Angel had gone a little of the way with us, but then she had stayed behind in some strange room that was filled with plants.

"I don't trust you. So I'm not letting you out of my sight." He answered gruffly.

I sighed. "So I guess that means that you don't want to leave with me?"

"I have to finish what I started." He answered, almost tiredly.

I opened my mouth, ready to argue, but he cut me off before I could even get a word out.

"I don't want to talk about it anymore." He growled. "Just shut the fuck up and don't leave my fucking side."

I bit my tongue, for the moment at least, as he continued to pull me along. After a while he stopped to pick me up, jumping up into the air and landing onto a strange rafter that was piercing through the walls of the hallway. He stood there another moment before speaking.

"They're coming. Stay quiet." He mumbled gruffly.

Sure enough, I started to hear them a little while later.

"Nice and simple! So we just gotta beat their brains out!" Gajeel's voice rang through the hallway.

"Now that's a simple, thrilling plan! How manly!" That must be Elfman.

"Then we can save Avari and Lucy!" Gray spoke next.

"Alright! I'm fired up!" Natsu, of course.

And then they were in sight.

Erik spoke down to them, arms crossed over his chest and a mildly amused look on his face. "You make me laugh."

"You!" Natsu yelled, pointing up at him.

"Avari!" Gray yelled out my name.

"Hey, Avi!" Gajeel called out.

Then I heard Cara's voice. "Avari!"

"Cara?!" I was surprised when I looked down to see her standing beside Natsu. "What are you doing here?"

She pouted, then. "Macbeth locked me back up... he's really different without you around."

Natsu grinned up at me. "I found her in the prison that they had me locked up in. She said that she was a friend of yours."

I nodded happily. "Yeah. Thanks for rescuing her."

He nodded back at me. "Of course!"

"Avari, are you okay?" Erza asked in concern. "Have you been injured?"

"I'm fine." I answered her. And then I held up my wrist for them to see the magic sealing cuff. "Just a bit restrained."

Erik laughed before anyone could say anything else. "Your anxiety, your desperation, your despair… I can hear it all." He was grinning now, obviously finding some cruel humor from what he was hearing in their thoughts.

"I'll handle him!" Natsu clenched his fist, clearly unamused.

"You come last. There is someone that I want to eradicate..." Erik readied an attack, but it was still unclear as to whom he was talking about "…first!" until he threw his attack at Erza.

Erza dodged the attack before speaking. "You heard him. He's apparently interested in me."

"But!" Natsu tried to argue.

Erza's gaze was determined as she looked at Erik. "It's because I heard the soulful cry from his heart."

"Nonsense." Erik glared back at her.

I looked at Erik questioningly, wondering why he did want to fight Erza.

His gaze flickered to me. "Stay here. Don't move."

I wanted to roll my eyes. "First, it's stay by your side… then, it's stay here… make up your mind."

His purple eye narrowed dangerously. "Don't test me, Avari."

"Don't talk to her like that!" Gray yelled from below us.

"Erza can handle this prick. Avi, you get your ass down here!" Gajeel demanded. "You can come with us!"

Erik tensed in anger, his hands clenched into fists. "My Avi isn't going anywhere with you."

I could sense that something bad was about to happen by the outraged looks on my friends' faces and the fury that I could feel exuding from Erik. So I quickly intervened. "It's fine!" I spoke to my guild. "Just go. Erza can fight him. And I'll stay here."

"You want us to just leave you?!" Natsu yelled incredulously.

"Yes! You need to go and save Lucy!" I urged them onward. "I'm alright! But she isn't!"

Natsu growled in frustration.

"You better not get yourself hurt, dammit!" Gajeel hollered up at me.

I smiled down at him. "I'll be fine. Now go!"

He nodded at me, grabbing Natsu and taking off down the hallway again. The rest of them followed. Except for Gray and Cara… he lingered, and Cara jumped onto his shoulder.

He looked up at me, his dark eyes meeting my silver gaze. "Stay safe, Avi."

"I will." I assured him.

And then they were gone, too, leaving me with only Erik and Erza. Erik was clearly unhappy… probably frustrated with the conversation that I had with my guild. But I had followed his order in favor of keeping the peace, so he shouldn't be too upset.

"Erza! I'll beat you up if you lose!" Natsu's voice echoed from down the hall.

Erza smiled in response, trying to hold back a laugh.

Erik looked bored now. "What are you laughing about?"

"I don't need to say. You can already hear it, after all." Erza said matter-of-factly.

And I couldn't help but laugh at her response, which earned me a sharp glare from Erik.

* * *

Erik and Erza had been fighting for a while. The battle had moved to a strange room with floating cubes and a stretching abyss below… this weird castle seemed to be filled with strange rooms. I watched from a safe distance… which meant that I stayed close enough to not upset Erik, but also far away enough to avoid injury. So far, neither one of them were fighting very seriously, so I couldn't really tell who would win at this point.

If Erik won, I would have to spend more time trying to convince him to stop all of this nonsense. I really did feel so heartbroken for him… he had been so lonely for so long, all because he had lost both me and Cubellios. I would do anything to make him change… to help him be the man that I knew he could be… if only there was something that I could do. But I would no longer compromise myself for him.

If Erza won, I would still worry about him. But at least I would be able to get the damn key from him and stop being his damn prisoner. I would always love him… I was sure of that much. But I couldn't keep being so weak. I couldn't keep giving just for him to keep taking. I needed him to give, too… I needed him to be the man that I fell in love with. But only he could decide to change. I couldn't make him.

I was vaguely watching their fight, mostly lost in thought, when someone else happened to burst into the battle. An attack that most certainly did not belong disrupted the two. And I looked up to see that weird ass man with the pompadour.

"Sugarboy." Erza called out to him, momentarily halted. "You still intend to fight us?"

"Lordy Byro gave us orders to keep Fairy Tail away from the Infinity Clock, you see…" He pointed down at her. "…armor girl."

"The circumstances have changed." Erza explained. "Byro and the Reborn Oracion Seis are now enemies!"

"That's just… crazy!" Sugarboy brushed her off in his singing voice. "Is this true, snake boy?" He directed his attention to Erik.

I snorted at the nickname that he gave him.

"Butt out." Erik grunted in response.

"What?" Sugarboy questioned again.

Erik was clearly annoyed by the obnoxious man. "May your own voice destroy you." He used his sound magic to send a powerful attack at Sugarboy… and since Sugarboy had sang quite loudly, the retaliating attack was certainly strong.

"What?! My doggies are out of control!" Sugarboy began to combust into jelly or whatever. "No!"

"Get lost." Erik demanded as Sugarboy dissolved into the attack.

"Unbelievable! I'm fading out just before my rousing reunion with the ice boy! Spicy!" The man kept on talking until the very end. "Bye-bye, armor girl and… snake boy!" He eventually fell down into the abyss, finally leaving silence behind him.

I leaned over the edge of the cube that I was standing on, just curious if I could see how far he would fall.

"Be careful, Avi." Erik's voice called out.

I looked up to see him watching me cautiously. Without my magic, it was harder to jump from cube to cube, so he must be worried that I would fall. I stepped back from the edge and smiled at him. "Okay."

Erik nodded at me, satisfied that I was safely away from the edge, before turning his attention back to Erza. "Now, then. Let's continue, Titania."

And then the fight was on again.

* * *

**How do you think Avari will feel as she continues to watch Erik and Erza fight?**

* * *

**Satoberi, I get that! Yay for Avi but poor Erik… :/ And yep! :)**

**Sunnymuffins, yeah, since it's in Avari's POV I can understand how it would be difficult to tell where we're at in the story. Hopefully it's a little clearer now :) I do have some plans for more Laxus in the future ;) And if you do decide to write a FT story, let me know! I would love to read it :)**

**P.S. Ellie, yep, that tends to happen with them… lol. And yes, there sure are! ;) hehe. Hope that you enjoyed the update! :)**

**KoreanMusicFan, Avari pretty much explained what happened between her and Erik when she told Laxus about it in Chapter 3. As for his thoughts and feelings, he'll say some things here and there, but I don't plan on switching POVs. **

**icecreamnova, lol, well I'm glad! Don't worry, she'll be back with Fairy Tail soon ;)**

**thatonegirlwhoyoudontknow, yep.**

**Leilaneko, we're getting closer to that point! I'm glad that you like my story :) Thanks for reviewing!**

**Batfreak02, I'm glad that you're enjoying my story! :) Though I hope that it doesn't ruin anything for you, since you're not caught up yet! I might be squeezing in some more Gajeel… we'll see ;) Thanks for your review!**


	18. Chapter 18: What Friends Are For

**5 points to Satoberi and P.S. Ellie!**

* * *

Chapter 18: What Friends Are For

* * *

Erik kept destroying Erza's weapons with his shock waves, but she kept attacking. "My ultra-shock waves shake the air and can instantly obliterate even the most well-tempered blades."

Erza stood back up, equipping a new sword. "Can you hear my mind?"

Erik seemed bored. "All I hear is that you intend to defeat me."

"Those are the only words in my mind right now." She stared at him with determination in her eyes, leaping in for another attack.

But he sent her flying back, destroying her sword yet again… she had caught onto the edge of one of the cubes as she fell, and he leapt down and stepped onto her hand. "I can hear it. Your desperation to find a way to defeat me, and your strong will that refuses to give up."

"As one who controls sound, it's no wonder you yap so much." Erza commented casually.

I snorted as I tried to hold back a laugh. Erik lifted his head to glare up at me, so I smiled apologetically down at him.

"But there are voices that _I_ hear too." Erza continued.

"Is that so?" Erik asked as he used another shock wave, sending her flying again.

She landed on a cube, the first few layers turning to rubble around her. "The voices of my comrades, saying that they refuse to lose and that I shouldn't give in either."

"That's your own voice." Erik sounded irritated. "It's just a belief that you wish to be true."

"That's fine by me." Erza stood to her feet. "For I _always_ hear the voices of my friends. It's the source of my strength. It's what drives me. Do you not hear any voices inside your own heart?"

"Tch." Erik grunted. "Your words irritate me to no end."

Erza re-quipped and attacked again, but Erik sent her flying through the castle wall. He was quick to follow through the gaping hole that he had created. And I rushed through, with some difficulty, to follow as well. Erza was standing on one of the large chains, already re-quipped. Erik looked behind him, realizing that I was crawling out of the crumbling hole in the wall. He picked me up and set me safely down on the end of one of the chains, making sure that I was stable.

"Thank you." I mumbled, dusting myself off.

"Just don't fall off." He mumbled back at me before jumping down to where Erza was, facing her off again. "You're a stubborn one, alright." He spoke to her.

"Cobra. You, too, suffered hardship at the Tower of Heaven. Why are you intent on making innocent people suffer the same way now?!" She asked him, readying her weapon.

The Tower of Heaven… that was a pain that I could not relate to. But she could. She shared that pain with him. Maybe she could help me convince him that what he was doing was wrong… that he needed to stop.

"Are you referring to the Real Nightmare?" He asked casually. "Honestly, I don't care about it one way or another… we're all suffering in some way, so how does it really make anything any worse? I lost my Avi to your stupid guild… And I've lost my only friend, while _you're_ surrounded by yours." He was referring to me leaving him for Fairy Tail… and Cubellios being missing. "That, I don't like!"

I honestly did feel so terrible for him… he must be so lonely. For him to think that he had lost me… for him to lose the one friend that had been with him since he had been a child… "Erik! You haven't lost me! And if you would just stop all of this, we could find Cubellios together!"

He growled out loud, getting angry with the situation. "You can't be mine and theirs, Avari! It's one or the other!"

"It doesn't have to be that way, Erik!" I cried out desperately, thinking that maybe there was a chance that I could still reach him. "I can still be yours while being part of Fairy Tail… you just can't hurt anyone! You can't make other people hurt just because you're hurting!"

"Why the hell not?!" He roared. "You're fucking hurting me right now, Avari!"

I fought back the tears, wishing that he could just see it my way… wishing that his view on things wasn't so disturbed. "Please, Erik…" I whispered.

And then Erza cut in, her hard gaze set on Erik. "You have an absurdly warped view."

It was reassuring to know that I wasn't the only one who thought that. I looked at Erza hopefully, waiting to see what she would say.

"Avari obviously loves you. And you clearly love her. So stop being so blind to it. Step out of the shadows and into the sunlight." She charged her weapon with lightning, getting ready for another attack. "Once you take a good, clear look, your perspective _will_ change on its own!"

I felt so relieved to hear her words. She spoke with such conviction. And that's exactly what he needed! He needed to look at things differently so that his perspective would change! If only he would listen…

But Erik was unimpressed as he easily dodged her attack. "If I take a good, clear look? Don't talk as if you understand!"

I practically deflated at his response. Why couldn't he just see? Why couldn't he open his fucking eyes and see that life was only as difficult as _he_ was making it?!

* * *

I kept watching Erik and Erza fight. Erza seemed to be getting an advantage on him. He was no longer able to send her flying at every turn. And she was nearly able to hit him a few times.

"I can hear you." He muttered, barely able to dodge her latest attack. He had tossed his cloak to the side so that he could move more freely. "So you need to defeat me as quickly as possible to remove my mark from the Infinity Clock, huh? Just give up, Titania!" He seemed to honestly believe that she would be unable to beat him.

But I could tell that she was getting closer.

"Give up? I don't know the meaning of the phrase!" She answered, her determination burning in her eyes.

"Even if you fall, your friends will assist, huh?" He asked jeeringly. "You can't possibly defeat me while you cling to such thoughts!"

Erza, undeterred, re-quipped and charged back in for another attack.

The more determined that she grew to beat him, the more capable that she became. I wished that I could be like her… I wished that I had her determination. I mused that in any other circumstance that I would. But against Erik, my will just seemed to dwindle. My love for him made me want to sacrifice everything… even myself. Maybe it was part of my dragon instincts to protect my mate… maybe it was just weakness… but either way, I needed to overcome it. I needed to be more resolute. I thought about my friends… Erza, here fighting… Lucy, trapped in the Infinity Clock… Gajeel, Gray, Natsu… even Cara… and all of the others… and of course the rest of the world. We all needed to fight. I needed to fight. But could I really fight Erik?

Erik huffed out loud, turning to face me after dodging Erza's attack. "Don't start thinking that way, Avi! It's not your bullshit friends that make you strong. It's sacrifice!"

I huffed as well, my silver eyes meeting his purple gaze. "Really? Because I've been sacrificing for you all of this time… and I only feel weaker for it!"

"You're not weak!" He yelled at me. "You're fucking strong! You only feel weak because of that damn cuff that I have to keep on you." He growled, clenching his fist at his side. "And I could take the damn thing off if I could only trust you!"

"Take it off, Erik! Let's see if I really am strong!" I was getting frustrated… with him, but mostly with myself. "If I'm strong, then I would be able to fight you! Because you're fighting for something that I don't believe in!"

"You wanna fight me, Avi?! Huh?!" He growled back, his body shaking with rage.

"Yes! But I'm too damn weak to stand up to you! Because I love you too damn much!" I was just as angry as he was now, but now I knew that I wasn't angry with him. I was frustrated with him, yes. But I was angry at myself because of my own lack of determination.

"It's okay, Avi!" Erza called out, interrupting our argument. "You don't have to fight him."

I looked down at her questioningly, my anger dissolving when I met her steady gaze. "What do you mean? If I don't fight him… then I'm just a failure… because I can't stand up for what I believe in."

She shook her head, smiling at me. "Don't you get it, Avi? You're allowed to be weak sometimes. That's what friends are for." She stood up straight, brandishing her spear at her side. "When you're weak, your friends are strong _for_ you. I understand that you love him… and that's why I won't let you fight him. I'll fight him for the both of us. Okay?"

I smiled back at her now. The realization of what she was saying sent relief flooding through my body. It was okay… it was okay that I couldn't fight the man that I loved. Because I had friends that could fight him for me… and that was okay. Because they loved me enough to be strong when I was weak… and that was okay. "It's all okay." I murmured out loud.

"Yeah." She confirmed, nodding at me. "It's all okay."

"Thank you, Erza." I couldn't express how thankful I was. And those words seemed to fall so short.

But she seemed to grasp how much I meant them. "Anytime, little sis."

Erik, tired of listening to us talk, spoke up again. "That's all bullshit. True strength comes from sacrifice."

Erza ignored him and instead dove in for another attack.

But he dodged and continued talking. "To gain new power, we gave up things that can never be replaced!" He counter attacked as he explained further. "Erigor lost his memory. Racer lost his mind. And Angel lost her lifespan. But you people lack the resolve to lose things. There is _nothing_ that outweighs the heaviness of our hearts!"

So that's how he lost he eye… he sacrificed it in order to gain all of this new power. Again, I couldn't help but feel for Erik… how lonely he must have been… in the prison… without Cubellios or me… "Erik…" I murmured his name out loud.

"Don't feel sorry for me, Avi!" He yelled out. "Because I have you now… I'm not gonna let you go again! And I _will_ find Cubellios."

I sighed, watching as he and Erza clashed all over again.

* * *

Erik had once again gained the upper hand. Erza was struggling as she held on to the chain to keep from falling. Erik readied his dragon magic… scales grew along his arms and claws formed at his fingertips.

"I'll finish you in one fell swoop." He proclaimed, readying for a finishing blow. "Cubellios… this is the final breath that you left me. I'm going to use it now."

"So he's one of the so-called Second Generation Dragon Slayers, huh?" Erza contemplated out loud.

"Rot away, Titania!" Erik roared as he leapt in for the final attack. "Poison Dragon Roar!"

My entire body shook in anxiousness. But then I nearly collapsed in relief when I realized that Erza was somehow able to block the attack.

"I see." She mused aloud, holding some sort of large hammer. "So this ancient weapon said to ward away evil can be used this way, too."

So she hadn't even been certain that move would work?! I wanted to smack something in exasperation.

"So, I can't hear stuff that you don't know, huh?" Erik mumbled, obviously unaware that she would be able to block his attack, either. "To think you'd make such a last ditch gamble!" Even he seemed shocked that she had made such a bold and reckless move.

"Hear my mind." Erza demanded.

Erik listened. And then a look of fear came across his face. "You're going to destroy us both?! You're going to cut the chains and send us plummeting?!"

"Are you okay with that, Avi?!" She shouted at me, since I was still on the next chain over, watching their fight.

I nodded, finally resolute. "Go for it!"

She nodded back at me. "Then here's one!" She cut the one that they were standing on first, using her weird ass hammer.

As Erik jumped from chain to chain, she followed after him, cutting them right after he would land. But he jumped in the opposite direction, away from me, still making sure that I was safe.

"You-!" He shouted angrily. "You're putting Avari in danger!"

"She wants to see you defeated! And I promised her that I would defeat you for the both of us!" Erza shouted back, not halting her assault.

They were moving out of my range, though… and it was frustrating. Until the chain that I was on went crashing down. I screamed in surprise… until I fell safely into a pair of arms, rather than crashing into the merciless ground. I opened my eyes to see Gajeel grinning down at me. I slowly relaxed as he landed us both securely onto the ground below.

"Sorry about that, Avi." He chuckled. "I didn't know that you were up there."

"It's okay… I'm still useless until I can get this cuff off." I grumbled as I climbed down out of his arms, keeping my hands on his chest for support.

He kept his hands on my waist to keep me steady, since I was still a little unbalanced from the fall. "Well we're all working on destroying these chains, right now… I did tell you not to get yourself hurt. You're lucky that I caught you." He grinned at me.

I pouted up at him, trying not to laugh. "_You're_ lucky that you caught me! Since you're the dumbass that chewed through the chain that I was standing on…"

He laughed out loud. "Yeah, well…"

"Yeah, well, nothing." I laughed, too. "Anyway, I've gotta go find Erik and Erza… so good luck chewing through chains!" I carefully pulled out of his grasp, happy to find that I was able to stand easily enough on my own.

He kept grinning at me. "Good luck finding that key. I'm tired of you being magicless."

I rolled my eyes playfully at him when he ruffled my brown hair, which was probably already a mess by now. "Yeah, yeah…" I smiled and threw him the peace sign as I ran off in the direction that I had seen Erik and Erza go in.

* * *

**What do you think will happen after Erza defeats Erik?**

* * *

**Sunnymuffins, awww, well if you ever get around to uploading one then let me know so that I can read it! :) And I know the updates are a tad erratic… like my life… lol.**

**icecreamnova, yeah, Sugarboy cracked me up, lol. And yes, Erik really is a good person he just has a twisted sense of view. I hope that you enjoyed the update :)**

**Satoberi, yes, they really do love each other :) So of course it's upsetting for Avari to watch him fight Erza, since she knows that he needs to be stopped and she is friends with Erza. We'll just have to wait and see how things work out :P**

**thatonegirlwhoyoudontknow, lol, there will definitely be more Laxus… but as for who she ends up with, we'll just have to wait and see ;)**

**P.S. Ellie, lol, IKR! And of course she's conflicted… but she knows that Erza needs to stop him :)**


	19. Chapter 19: A Promise to Keep

**5 points to Satoberi and P.S. Ellie!**

* * *

Chapter 19: A Promise to Keep

* * *

I arrived just in time to see Erik crashing down from one of the chains. I ran to him, finding him in a crater of rubble. "Erik!" I shouted his name, rushing to his side.

He had been defeated… just as Erza had promised. But that didn't mean that I couldn't be by his side… that I couldn't still care for him. I knelt down beside him, checking over him to see how wounded he was. I was about to ask if he was alright, but he answered before I could.

"I'm obviously not alright. That's a stupid question."

I looked up to meet his purple gaze… instead of frustration, there was a longing look in his eye. "Obviously… but still."

He watched me for a moment longer before speaking again. "Your stupid wannabe sister said that having someone to protect… that's true strength."

I smiled at him. "That's what _I_ believe."

"Who do you want to protect?" He asked me.

"You." I answered without hesitation.

"I can hear you…" He mumbled. "You really mean that."

"Of course I do." I gently stroked his face with my fingers, careful not to hurt him further. "It's always been you. That's why I wanted you to stop all of this… because it isn't good for you. It isn't good for anyone."

He sighed. "I want to protect you, too…" He closed his eyes, relaxing into my touch. "That's why I wanted to be stronger. I wanted to get you back… and keep you safe. I wanted to find you and Cubellios, and be strong enough so that I would never lose either of you again. This world is so fucked up. And I've always wanted to be strong enough so that I could protect you both."

"I know, Erik." I murmured soothingly. "You've had a rough life. And you wanted to make it better… for all of us." I brushed my fingers softly through his red hair. "You just… went about it the wrong away."

"Maybe I really was selfish…" He opened his eye to look at me again. "I just wanted to keep you and Cubellios with me."

"I'm selfish, too." I leaned down to press my forehead to his. "Because I wanted to be with you so much that I couldn't even stop you from doing something stupid."

"Fuck, Avi." He grumbled at me. "Shut the hell up… you know that you've been selfless. You've given up everything for me… because I've been the selfish one. And I was too damn ignorant to realize that you were sacrificing everything for me."

I grinned at him before pressing my lips to his for a warm, gentle kiss. He could barely move, but he returned my kiss passionately… shoving his tongue into my mouth… swirling it with mine… After several long moments, I slowly pulled away. He was staring at me so lovingly… and then his eye widened.

"I hear someone." He looked over to the side.

I looked up to see someone approaching us from the edge of the crater.

"Who's there?" Erik demanded, unable to really see from his position.

"Kinana?" I stared at her questioningly, wondering what she was doing there.

"Avari!" She called my name as she rushed down into the crater. "He's badly hurt… is there anything that I can do?" She directed her attention to Erik as she kneeled at his other side.

"Keep your dirty hands off of me…" Erik grumbled as she reached out to touch him.

"He's injured from his fight, but… I don't think that there's anything that you can do for him." I answered Kinana, ignoring Erik's rude remark.

She looked at him, observing him carefully. And then she spoke again. "Tell me… were you the one calling out to me?"

I lifted a brow, wondering what she was talking about.

But then Erik's eye widened in recognition and he gasped out loud. "I can hear it…" He jumped up out of my arms and tackled Kinana to the ground. "You…!"

"Erik, what are you doing?!" I gasped as well, but for an entirely different reason.

"It's Cubellios!" He grabbed my arm and pulled me down beside him, directing my attention to the girl beneath him.

I stared at her inquisitively. She had always seemed familiar… but for her to be Cubellios? Cubellios was a snake… But then Kinana's eyes also seemed to flash with recognition, and she lifted her hand to touch Erik's face.

"You…" She murmured. "Your eye…"

Erik looked away from the both of us, almost seeming ashamed now. "I lost it to gain power." He got up from on top of her, sitting back into a cross-legged position. "Don't worry about it. Hearing is all I need, anyway." He pulled me into his lap, wrapping his arms around me as Kinana sat up across from us.

"What's your name?" Kinana asked, leaning in close to us.

"She doesn't remember…" He whispered into my ear. And then he sighed his reply to her. "Erik."

"Erik…" She repeated.

His grip on me tightened and he leaned his head against mine. "She's back… We've found Cubellios."

I smiled at him, leaning into his embrace. "I told you that we would."

"And you know her in this form?" He questioned me, simply watching her.

I nodded. "Her name is Kinana. She's a member of Fairy Tail. Though I've never really spoken to her, I've always thought that she was familiar…"

"So you've been together all along." He concluded.

She was watching us, as well. "I was under a curse before I joined Fairy Tail… I don't remember anything from before."

"Being a snake must have been the curse." I reasoned through the information, wondering how we had never figured it out before.

"But you're fine, now…" Erik murmured, content with that.

For a moment… just a moment… things seemed to be the way that they used to be. We were happy. And we were all together. And then it was ruined when two members of the Magic Council showed up. The three of us all tensed as we looked in their direction.

"Cobra of the Reborn Oracion Seis, yes?"

"Most of the others are in custody. We ask that you come along quietly."

"The Council, huh…" Cobra grunted, his grip on me loosening.

"No…" I could feel my world just collapsing around me.

"Wait! He's… He's…" Kinana began to object, her magic rupturing around her.

"What?!"

"You intend to resist?!"

"You can't take him!" I objected as well, standing to my feet. "He's not the same as the others!"

But Erik grabbed my hand, pulling me back. "Alright, I'm coming." He spoke to the Magic Council members.

"What?!" I looked at him incredulously.

"Huh?" Even Kinana was confused.

"I can hear them." He muttered as he stood to his feet. "If you and Cubellios keep resisting, they're going to arrest you, too."

"But, Erik-"

"But nothing." He interrupted me. "You know damn well that they're not just gonna let me off." And then he let out a sigh. "I know where the two of you are now… I haven't lost you. So take care of each other."

I held on to his hand, gripping it tightly. "I don't want to see you go."

"This is what it's all about, isn't it?" He turned to smirk at me. "Protecting the people that you love... and I love you and Cubellios."

"Erik…" I grumbled, trying not to pout. "You choose _now_ of all times to change?"

He chuckled at me. "Let _me_ be the selfless one, for once. And you… you be selfish while I'm gone, okay?" He leaned in to give me a kiss… it was quick, but it was firm and meaningful. "Just stay with fucking Fairy Tail. And keep Cubellios with you. And do whatever the hell you want." He reached into his pocket, pulling out the key to my Magic Sealing cuff and pressing it into my palm. Then he slowly, reluctantly let go of my hand and turned away. "Now get going."

I let out a heavy breath, struggling not to cry. But still, the tears streamed silently down my face. "I love you, Erik."

"I love you too, Avi." He murmured back at me as he began to walk toward the Magic Council members.

"Wait!" Kinana called out in distress. "You were the one calling out to me, weren't you?! Weren't you?!"

He stopped walking, but he didn't turn around. "You can talk to Avari… she'll explain what you need to know. And I want you both to promise me that you'll look after each other."

"We will." I assured him.

Kinana looked back and forth between us before nodding in agreement. "Okay. I will."

Satisfied with our answers, Erik began walking again.

"So they're not accomplices of yours?" One of the members asked.

"No." The other member answered for him. "They're members of Fairy Tail."

"I see. Alright."

"You're sure giving up nice and easy."

"I guess…" Erik grumbled at them. "Having someone to love just makes things easier. Just knowing that you have someone out there is soothing." He turned to look at Kinana and me, a smile on his face.

I took Kinana's hand, realizing that she was crying, too.

She squeezed my hand in response. "He really was the one calling me." She murmured quietly. "I wonder if he heard _my_ voice…"

"He heard you, Kinana…" I murmured back to her. "He always hears."

And together, we watched Erik walk away.

* * *

After Erik had disappeared from sight, Kinana and I walked together to rejoin the other members of our guild. She had helped me unlock my cuff, and I had placed both it and the key into my pocket. I wasn't sure why I kept them… sentimental nonsense, I supposed. We were still holding hands, because we were both still upset about Erik's departure and it was comforting. We were silent for the most part. But after a while, Kinana decided to speak.

"So you know about my past?" She asked quietly. "You can tell me about what happened before?"

I nodded. "Yes, for the most part… but Erik knows you better than anyone."

She looked at me hopefully, obviously waiting to hear more.

I smiled reassuringly at her. "I'll tell you everything… but maybe we should talk about it more when all of this is over."

She nodded back in understanding. "Okay." After a few moments passed, she spoke again. "I don't know why… but I feel happier now… but I'm sad at the same time."

"I know what you mean." I answered easily. I was happy that Erik had finally owned up to being the man that I knew that he could be. But I was sad that he had been taken away from me. Though I was also happy that we had found Cubellios, or Kinana, and she was with me now. And then again, I was sad that Erik couldn't be with her, knowing how much she meant to him.

"I'm happy because I feel like I've found a missing part of me… finding Erik, whose voice I've been hearing and whom I feel like is a vital part of me… and finding you, whom I feel like I can trust and also is a close part of me. But I'm sad because that vital part was taken away…"

"That's similar to what I feel, Kinana." I sighed out loud. "Erik is a vital part of me, as well. And it hurts to have him gone." I squeezed her hand in mine, then. "But I'm happy that we've finally found you." Then I pouted. "Though I do wish that I had realized who you were sooner…" I considered how different things might have been if I had just been able to tell Erik that I knew where Cubellios was from the very beginning. But there was no use in contemplating it now, since it couldn't be changed.

"He made us promise to look after each other..." She commented, returning my squeeze with one of her own and inching closer to me.

"That's because we're both very important to him." I explained. "He loves us both. And seven years ago, he lost both of us… He wouldn't be able to bear that happening again."

She shook her head unhappily. "I wouldn't want that to happen to him… ever."

"Then we'll keep our promise." I assured. "We'll take care of each other."

She nodded firmly, lifting her free hand to grab my arm. "Always. And when we see him again, we'll take care of him, too."

I smiled at her. "It's a deal."

* * *

**How do you think the various members of Fairy Tail will feel now that they know about Avari's relationship with the Oracion Seis?**

* * *

**Satoberi, Erza definitely helped :) And yes, he was finally able to see it :)**

**icecreamnova, I'm glad that you enjoyed it! I hope that you liked this one, as well :)**

**P.S. Ellie, yes, she certainly is! :D And yep, he came to his senses :)**


	20. Chapter 20: Explaining Things

**5 points to P.S. Ellie and Satoberi!**

* * *

Chapter 20: Explaining Things

* * *

Kinana and I found the other members of Fairy Tail regrouping with Blue Pegasus. When they saw us, they immediately shouted out and made their way in our direction.

"Avi!"

"Avari, there you are!"

"Kinana? What are you doing here?"

I sighed, still holding Kinana's hand. "It's a long story…" I mumbled, avoiding eye contact with all of them. "And I think I have some explaining to do."

"Yeah! Like why the hell were you with those Oracion Seis guys?!" Natsu asked bluntly, Happy nodding along on his shoulder.

Gray stepped up and knocked him over the head before directing his attention toward me. "You don't have to explain anything, Avi." He still had Cara by his side, so I wondered if she had already filled him in.

Natsu started to yell, but Erza interrupted him. "As much as I would like to agree… I really do think that you should at least tell one of us what's been going on, little sis."

I pursed my lips, still staring down at the ground. "It hasn't been fair of me to hide this from all of you… you're not just a guild… most of you are my family."

Gajeel grunted pointedly, and then I heard several pairs of footsteps walking away. When I looked up, only him, Erza, Gray, Natsu, and Lucy were still with Kinana and me… not to mention the Exceeds. I gave him a thankful nod, and he nodded back at me.

"Well, um…" I began nervously, looking back and forth between all of them. "It all started a long time ago, when I first left the guild… I met Erik, which you all know him as Cobra… and I kind of… fell in love with him." I wasn't sure why I felt so embarrassed about admitting this to them, but I tried my best to push the feeling away. "I didn't know that he was a member of a dark guild at the time. And by the time I found out, it was too late for me to do anything about it. So I kind of got held captive by them… and when you beat them the first time to stop Nirvana, the Magic Council found me locked up in their hideout and took me in for questioning." I was summarizing the story, unlike the way that I had told Laxus… I didn't want to give them all of the gory details. I did my best to ignore the various expressions of shock and anger on their faces. "After they finally let me go, I came to find all of you… and well, you kind of know the rest."

"But how did you end up here?" Gajeel asked, trying to piece together the information.

I shrugged. "Erik kidnapped me."

"But why?" Gray pressed, obviously forgetting about how he didn't think anyone needed to know as his curiosity got the better of him.

"Well…" I took a deep breath. "He never stopped loving me…" I realized that I needed to tell them about my feelings. It wouldn't be fair if I held them back. "And honestly, I never stopped loving him either."

"How can you say that? After he kidnapped you and held you captive?" Gray questioned again, stepping closer to me.

I chewed on my lower lip, and Kinana squeezed my hand. "Because… deep down, underneath all of the dark guild and _destroying the world_ nonsense… he was a good guy. He still is. And so is Macbeth. They're not bad men… they just did some bad things."

"It's okay, Avi." Erza murmured, standing beside me and putting her hand on my shoulder. She smiled reassuringly at me. "You can't help who you love..."

I got the feeling that she understood, and I felt some relief from that. "Thank you." I whispered to her.

She nodded back at me, seeming so positive and certain.

"Come to think of it, they really didn't seem so bad when you were around…" Lucy muttered thoughtfully.

Natsu shrugged before placing his arms behind his head. "Well I don't care who you love, Avi. As long as you're safe."

Gray had a disgruntled expression on his face. He sighed before speaking. "They're all in custody now… so hopefully we won't have to worry about him kidnapping you again."

Gajeel snorted. "He's not gonna be taking her anywhere."

Of course I would never tell them that my heart was aching for Erik to show up… and I didn't think I would care if he kidnapped me at this point. I just wanted to be with him. But I forced myself to smile. I was happy that my guild was not judging me. But still… they didn't know everything.

* * *

We made it back to the guild hall and I was actually relieved that my sister and the rest of the Thunder God Tribe were not there. I vaguely wondered where they were, but I shrugged it off. After the members of the Legion Platoon had apologized, a party had erupted. Kinana was working the bar with Mira, and I had promised to spend some time with her when things had settled down. I busied myself with introducing Cara around, ignoring the watchful stares of my guildmates that were now in-the-know of my situation. They were clearly just being extra tentative of me… but I wished that they would treat me normally.

"Hey." Gray's voice sounded from behind me. "How are you doing?"

I turned to him, forcing a smile. "You managed to sneak away from Juvia and Sugarboy?" I asked teasingly, since the two of them had been fighting for his attention since we had arrived.

He rolled his eyes before taking my arm and pulling me into a corner, leaving Cara at the bar with Kinana. "Don't say their names… they may find me."

I laughed, amused by his angst. "Aw, it can't be that bad… having so many people vying for your affection."

He glared at me, dark eyes narrowed in exasperation. "It's so annoying!" Then he pouted, giving me a more serious look. "Besides, I'd rather spend my time with you."

I blinked, taken off guard by his comment.

"Avi… back before I left for that mission… when you were hiding scared in your room… was it because of Cobra?" He asked, his voice solemn and low.

I sighed, wishing that I didn't have to talk about this. But I knew that it was only because Gray worried about me. "Sort of… I didn't know it at the time, but I was sensing his presence. He was watching me."

He huffed, his expression disgruntled. "I wish that you had told me sooner… but either way, I know now. And I'm not gonna let him hurt you anymore. I'm going to keep you safe."

I smiled, because he was just so genuine. I couldn't tell him that I didn't need to be kept safe from Erik… that I still loved Erik and wanted more than anything to be with him right now… "You don't have to worry about me, Gray."

He pulled me into a hug, holding me tightly against his chest. "But I do, Avi… because I care about you."

I wrapped my arms around his waist, returning his embrace. Even if there was no need for him to worry, it still felt nice that he cared this much about me. "Thank you, Gray."

He moved so that he was still holding me, but his face was leaning down toward mine. I could feel his cool breath on my skin as he got closer. Part of me wanted to run, but I was struck still, tense in his arms. And then a sharp cry interrupted us and Gray was jerked away.

"Gray, my darling! What are you doing over here?!" Juvia cried out, pulling him away from me.

I let out a breath, deflating in relief. I wasn't ready to pursue any type of intimate action with anyone else… not yet. I watched as Juvia dragged him away, fighting off Sugarboy as she did. I even let out a laugh.

"Hey, Avi!" Gajeel's voice sounded as he slung an arm over my shoulder. "What are you doing way over here?" He grinned, leaning his head against mine.

I smiled back at him. "Nothing anymore."

"Well come and have a drink with me." He demanded, already pulling me toward a table where a keg was set up.

I easily complied, thinking that a drink sounded like a pretty damn good idea. I was just getting a pretty good buzz when I heard my sister screaming out my name.

"Little sister!"

I looked up to see her tackling through anyone who got in her way, Bickslow and Freed right with her. I plastered on a grin, feigning innocence. "Hey, Ever!"

"Don't you _hey_ me!" She yelled, immediately jumping onto me and pulling me into a death grip of a hug. "I was so worried about you!"

"My little Avi!" Bickslow hollered as he threw himself onto us, yanking the two of us into his arms and holding us in a bear hug. "Little Avi! Little Avi!" His dolls echoed around our three-person embrace.

"Are you alright, Avari? Have you been hurt?" Freed flitted about, trying to check me for injuries in spite of the fact that I was being practically suffocated.

I wiggled until the arms around me loosened somewhat so that I could answer him. "I'm fine! Really!" I tried prying my way out of their grasp, but it was useless. "You can let go now, guys!"

"But I missed you, little Avi!" Bickslow cried out, rubbing his cheek on the top of my head.

"And I never want to let you go again, my sweet little sister!" Evergreen cooed dramatically.

I sighed, completely exasperated.

And then one of my favorite voices spoke up in his familiar, smooth drawl. "That's enough. You're making it hard for our little Avi to breathe."

I finally jerked away from my sister and Bickslow and looked up to see Laxus, standing over us with his muscular arms crossed over his broad chest. I grinned at him, jumping up to hug him instead. "What are you doing here?" I asked, surprised and happy to see him.

He chuckled, wrapping his arms around my waist and holding me close. "Well when I heard that you got yourself kidnapped… I decided to move back into the Thunder God Tribe house."

I pulled away so that I could look up at him, observing his amused gaze. "Really? You're moving back in?"

He smirked, nodding in affirmation. "_Someone_ has to keep an eye on you."

I blushed, suddenly feeling like I was being more trouble than I was worth.

"Hey…" He whispered, leaning down so that his lips were at my ear. "We can talk about everything later…" And then he stood back up straight, looking around the room. "But I better get out of here for now, before the old man sees me."

I nodded, remembering that technically he wasn't supposed to be in here, since he was banned or whatever… "Alright." I reluctantly pulled completely away from him, letting my hands trail over his muscled chest and arms as I did. But then I realized that I would be seeing him at home, and I grinned. "I'll see you at home, later."

He grinned back at me. "Yeah. Later." And then he was gone.

Bickslow tugged my hand so that I fell down into his lap, Evergreen on one side and Freed on the other. "I've missed your cuddles, Avi…" He murmured happily as he wrapped his arms around me and squeezed me tight.

I laughed, taking the mug of booze that Gajeel handed me. "I missed you too, Bickslow."

Evergreen rolled her eyes, letting out an obnoxious groan. "So are you gonna tell us why the hell you got kidnapped by a dark guild?"

"I'm fairly interested to hear that myself…" Freed nodded, looking at me thoughtfully.

I waved my hand casually, trying to dissuade them from the subject. "It's no big deal. After all, they're back in prison and I'm home now."

"But what did they want with you?" Freed asked curiously, not willing to drop the subject.

"Why would a dark guild kidnap my baby sister?!" Evergreen demanded, also not willing to let it go.

Bickslow was happy to just keep cuddling me in his lap.

I sighed, thinking of how I should tell them… when Gajeel decided to answer for me.

"She had a relationship with Cobra, one of their members." He huffed out, sipping his booze from across the table.

I glared at him, contemplating on whether or not I should throw something at him, which only made him laugh in amusement.

"What?! My little Avi involved with a dark guild member?! No way!" Bickslow protested as he nuzzled my brown hair, making it a ruffled mess.

"I didn't know that he was in a dark guild when I got involved with him!" I quickly defended myself.

"So it's true?!" My sister squealed.

"Will you keep quiet?!" I shouted at her, giving her a warning glare. "Not everyone knows…"

"Well I guess that explains why he kidnapped you…" Freed murmured, sorting through the information.

I groaned, tilting my head back against Bickslow's chest before guzzling down my booze. "Let's talk about something else, now…"

"Fine." Evergreen narrowed her eyes at me. "But we're not finished with this conversation."

I sighed, knowing that she was going to be cornering me for details later.

* * *

**Do you think that the Thunder God Tribe will get the details that they're after?**

* * *

**P.S. Ellie, yep, he changed the roles in their relationship, didn't he? :)**

**icecreamnova, omg, I know! They're so annoying!**

**thatonegirlwhoyoudontknow, yep, it all worked out :)**

**Satoberi, awww, I know! So many conflicting emotions! Lol. ;)**


	21. Chapter 21: Understanding

**5 points to P.S. Ellie!**

**3 points to Satoberi!**

* * *

Chapter 21: Understanding

* * *

Unfortunately, I hadn't gotten to spend any more time with Kinana. She lived in the guild dorms with some of the other female members, so I wished her goodnight before I left. I was tired from such a long day, so I convinced Bickslow to give me a piggy-back ride. Cara walked alongside us, having already met the Thunder God Tribe when I told them that she was going to be staying with me.

Freed opened the front door and Bickslow ran inside, holding my thighs tightly so that I wouldn't fall off of him.

"We're home!" He shouted, his dolls calling after him. "We're home, we're home!"

"Now!" Evergreen immediately looked at me, giving me a pointed stare. "Tell me everything that's been going on! Don't leave anything out!"

I groaned in exasperation, burying my face in between Bickslow's shoulder blades. "But I'm so tired…"

"I don't care!" She crossed her arms and popped her hip. "We've been worrying about you and we have a right to know why."

"At least give her the night to recuperate." Laxus' voice sounded as he walked down the stairs.

I looked up to see him shirtless… his broad, muscular chest in full view… his sweat pants hanging low on his hips to show off the protruding "V" that led to somewhere promising… I bit my lip, trying to hide my blush as I buried my face back into Bickslow's shoulders.

"Alright." Evergreen resigned, unable to argue with Laxus. "Take her to bed, Bickslow."

"Okay!" He started running up the stairs, securely holding my thighs again. "I'mma cuddle you tonight, Avi! 'Cause I've missed you!"

"It's _my_ job to protect her at night!" Freed called resentfully after us. "Laxus said so!"

"Too bad! I already said I'm gonna do it!" He yelled back, already running past Laxus.

"Neither of you are staying with her tonight." Laxus intervened, giving me a grin as he caught my gaze. "I'm going to watch over her."

I bit my lip, feeling nervous at the suggestive gleam in his eye.

Bickslow whined, but he dropped me down onto my bed when we reached my room. "Goodnight, Avi!" He kissed my cheek and then left.

I could hear Evergreen introducing Cara to Laxus and then telling her that she could sleep in the linen closet, which made me laugh. But I didn't do anything to alter the situation. Instead, I decided to walk down the hall and take a shower, even though what I really wanted to do was crash. I looked at the door at the end of the hall, the one that led to Laxus' room, and I was happy to know that it would be in use again. I really was glad to have him back… and near… again. I walked into the washroom and quickly took my shower, scrubbing down and rinsing off before grabbing a towel to dry with. I wrapped it around myself and made sure that it was secure before heading back down the hall to my room.

I opened the door to see Laxus lying in my bed. I blinked, looking at him skeptically. "What are you doing?"

He grinned, giving me a casual shrug. "I'm staying with you tonight."

I struggled not to bite my lip or blush. "But why?"

He chuckled, tucking an arm behind his head as he rested against the headboard. "You think I'm gonna let you stay here alone after you got kidnapped? No fucking way…"

I pursed my lips, but decided not to argue. I didn't really want to be alone, anyway. I pulled a nightshirt and some underwear out of my dresser before giving him a pointed look. "Close your eyes."

His grin stretched wider across his handsome face. "It's nothing that I haven't seen before." He pointed out.

I narrowed my silver eyes at him. "I don't care. Close your eyes."

He laughed, but went ahead and closed his eyes.

I quickly got dressed, fully aware of the fact that he was peeking. When I was finished, I closed the door and turned off the light, and then I crawled into the bed, getting underneath the covers and cuddling in next to him.

He easily wrapped an arm around me and pulled me close, holding my body comfortably against his. "I missed you, Avi."

"I missed you too." I whispered back.

"So… the man that you told me about was this Cobra guy? The one that held you captive?" He tried to sound casual, but I could sense the dark undertone.

I nodded, avoiding eye contact. It occurred to me that even though I had told Laxus about him, I had never told him who he was. "His real name is Erik."

And then he let out a heavy breath, his body growing tense. "I'm sorry that I wasn't here… I should've kept you safe."

I smiled, because I felt so happy to have so many people that cared about me… especially Laxus. "I'm not upset about it."

His grip on me tightened as he rolled onto his side, pulling me even closer as he tucked my body into his embrace. "How can you not be upset?" He grumbled. "That bastard hurt you… fucking kidnapped you… and held you captive…"

I sighed, lifting my hand to trail my fingers across the bare skin of chest. "It wasn't that bad… at the end, he went back to being the man that I loved."

"That doesn't change all of the shit that he did to you, Avi." He grunted resentfully, clearly unhappy with the situation.

"No… it doesn't." I agreed with him. "But I can't change the fact that I love him… I've always loved him… and he's always loved me, in his own fucked up way."

He snorted, his hot breath fluttering through my brown hair and across my skin. "Fucked up is right." His hands were tight on my waist, his anger clear in his voice. "I wish I had run into that asshole while he was out of prison… I could have taught him a fucking lesson."

I pressed my lips to his chest, trying to calm him down. I couldn't blame him for being so angry with Erik… he knew everything that I had gone through with him, after all. But I couldn't help but love Erik, either… and that wouldn't change. "Erza taught him a pretty painful lesson… and he was back to himself… back to the man that I fell in love with… before they took him."

"I still would have liked to knock him around myself…" He growled, the threat heavy in his voice. After a few moments of tense silence, he let out a dragging sigh. "What happened this time, anyway?"

I shrugged, still soothingly running my fingers along his chest. "He took me because he missed me… it's been seven years for him, after all. He was mad because I disappeared on him…"

"Did he hurt you?" He asked bluntly, seemingly forcing the words out.

I sighed, chewing on my lower lip. I didn't want to lie to Laxus… he was the only person that I ever felt like I could trust, after all. "He did at first… but he apologized."

Laxus tangled a hand in my hair and pulled my head up so that I had to look at him. He was giving me a pointed stare, his blue-gray eyes hardened with his intensity. "You told me that he always apologized. And he always did it again."

"It's different this time." I mumbled, wanting to look away from his piercing gaze but finding myself unable to.

"Don't fool yourself, Avi."

"But it is…" I sighed, wondering how I would explain. "After Erza defeated him… he told me that he realized that he had been selfish all along… that he had just wanted to keep me with him… keep me safe… and he could finally see that I had been selfless for him." I fought back tears as I remembered how he had been before the Magic Council had shown up, in our final moments together. "He even turned himself into the Magic Council for me, going with them willingly so that I wouldn't be taken into custody for protecting him. He protected me… because he loves me." I couldn't hold in the tears anymore, so I started rambling as they fell down my face. "And he made me promise to protect Kinana. And he told me that he wanted to be the selfless one for once… that he wanted _me_ to be selfish. He told me to stay with Fairy Tail and to do whatever I wanted while he was gone." A sob escaped my lips… I could still picture the way that he looked as he walked away. "And now he's gone. And what I want is to be with him. But he's gone…"

Laxus let out a heavy breath, pulling me close and tucking my head underneath his chin. "It's okay, Avi… I get it… I understand…" He rubbed my back and combed his fingers soothingly through my hair. "You love him… and that's okay… but he would want you to be happy. So stop crying, okay?"

I tried to calm down, but now that the tears were falling I couldn't seem to get them to stop.

"It's alright, Avi… just do what he said. Stay with Fairy Tail… and take care of Kinana, whatever the hell that means… and be happy." He was really trying to console me, and that in itself was comforting.

I took several breaths as I wiped my tears away. "Thank you, Laxus…" I murmured, nuzzling his firm, muscular chest. And then I laughed. "I'm sorry that I cried all over you."

He let out a soft chuckle, hugging me tightly. "Don't worry about it. Just get some sleep."

I smiled, relaxing into his embrace. I was happy that he understood… it was so relieving.

"I still plan on kicking his ass myself when I get the chance though…"

I heard him grumble as I was drifting off to sleep.

* * *

I awoke the next the morning to high pitched voices squealing "wake up, wake up!" over and over again. When the hell had we gotten such an annoying alarm clock? I opened my eyes to see Bickslow's head right above mine with his stupid little dolls circling around him. I arched a brow.

He grinned. "Good morning!" The little dolls echoed his words in those annoying, high pitched voices. At least they weren't alarm clocks… "Ever sent me to wake you up for lunch."

"Lunch?" I questioned sleepily, my voice raspy from sleep.

His grin widened. "Well you slept right through breakfast, silly!"

I sighed. Well that would explain why Laxus was missing… I tried to sit up, but I couldn't. I blinked, getting a better understanding of my current position… Bickslow was hovering over me, straddling my waist, his arms on either side of my head, and his face just above mine… grinning like a madman. "Bickslow… think you could move so that I can go downstairs?"

His grin broke as he started laughing. "But I like being on top of you."

I rolled my eyes at him, trying not to laugh. "We can cuddle later. I need to go downstairs and eat before my sister starts freaking out."

Right about that time we heard her calling up the stairs. "Avi! Come on!"

"See?!" I pushed on his chest to emphasize my point.

He just leaned further in, his eyes shining with mischief. And then in one fluid motion he flung me over his shoulder and began waltzing down the stairs.

"Bickslow!" I yelped at him as he laughed maniacally.

"Hey, I brought her, Ever!" Bickslow announced when we reached the adjoining kitchen and dining room.

"Put me down, dammit!" I gripped his back and tried to move so that I could see what was going on.

"Put her down, you neanderthal!" My sister yelled at him, stomping her foot pointedly.

"No!" Bickslow stayed in the large entryway and gripped me tighter, his hands digging into my waist and thighs.

"Come now, Bickslow. Put Avari down so that she can eat." It was Freed's voice this time.

I still couldn't see anything except for some small amount of space behind Bickslow. "Please, Bickslow?" I tried to coax him with a sweet voice.

"Aww, you're just so cute." He just wrapped his arms further around me and cuddled his cheek against my hip.

I rolled my eyes. And then I saw Laxus.

"Ahem." He was trying not to laugh. "Looks like you could use some help there."

I smiled up at him. "Yes, please!"

Instead of rescuing me properly, Laxus just pulled me from Bickslow's shoulder and then settled me onto his own, laughing as he did.

"Dammit…" I grumbled.

"There ya go!" He spoke triumphantly.

"Gee, thanks…" My answer was sarcastic.

He chuckled, and I could feel his warm breath fluttering over the skin of my legs. "I'm liking this view…" He rumbled.

And then I felt a sharp pain lancing through my butt cheek. "Did you just bite my ass?!" I screeched, the blush heating my cheeks as I squirmed around on his shoulder.

He laughed, tossing me down into a seat at the table. He leaned down and pressed his mouth to my ear, his grin wide across his face. "I'd take a bite out of you any day."

My stomach flipped as I felt my cheeks flushing with red.

And he just kept grinning as he sat across from me, smirking as I pouted at him.

* * *

**No question this time, just 5 points for anyone that reviews :)**

* * *

**Satoberi, I know what you mean! And her sister tried to pester her… but Laxus took care of it ;)**

**P.S. Ellie, lol, there certainly are a lot of interests… and steamy scenes to come! ;)**


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